Vyvianna Quinonez, the woman who made headlines around the world last year for brutally attacking a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, is facing an extended prison sentence after violating her plea deal by being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. A woman blames a recent surgery.
Quinonez shocked the world after video showed her punching a Southwest Airlines flight attendant with a closed first on a flight to San Diego over a mask dispute. Two of the flight attendant's teeth required crowns. She had to have stitches for a deep cut.
She admitted that she punched the flight attendant in the face and head with a closed fist and grabbed her hair, and pleaded guilty to assault.
On January 7, 2022, that was the date. She was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol after being observed driving erratically. She admitted to the officer that she had consumed a couple drinks and blamed her confusion on a fight with her boyfriend and a recent surgery for her tendency to get drunk.
The prosecutors told the Bee that they were not amused.
“However, Defendant told pretrial services that her doctor informed her that ‘if she drinks alcohol, her blood alcohol concentration may rise abnormally due to the small size of her stomach.’
“Given this warning by her doctor, Defendant should have been especially careful about the possibility of driving while intoxicated.”
She was placed under the custody of the U.S. marshals after an arrest warrant was issued.
Her sentencing hearing will be held on May 27, 2022. She is locked up.
Quinonez could face a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to 20 years in prison. Even if the assault charge is dropped, she could face a harsher sentence due to the judge's discretion in setting the penalty.
A part of you feels bad for a woman who may have ruined her life because of poor decisions. I believe that an extremely harsh punishment (within the statutory limit) that hopefully will serve as a chilling reminder to others not to assault flight attendants is merited by her failure to abide by plea conditions and the absolutely brutal assault on a flight attendant.
Read More on this incident.
Taro Arai is a passenger on the flight.
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