Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant: Sacramento County woman Vyvianna M. Quinonez jailed for punching a flight attendant

Vyvianna Quinonez the California woman who assaulted a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in the face during a flight, breaking her teeth, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.

Vyvianna Quinonez was also ordered by a federal judge in San Diego to pay roughly $26,000 in restitution and a $7,500 fine for the assault on a Southwest trip between Sacramento and San Diego on May 23, 2021.

The 29-year-old Sacramento woman is barred from flying for three years while on supervised release and must attend anger management programmes or counselling.

Quinonez pled guilty to one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants last year, confessing to punching a flight attendant in the face and head with a closed fist and grabbing her hair.

The sentence, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy, should “send a very strong message to air travellers – the FBI will relentlessly investigate anyone who assaults or interferes with flight staff.”

Airlines reported over 5,000 occurrences of disruptive customers to the Federal Aviation Administration in 2021.