A New York woman has been sentenced to prison for causing an altercation aboard a flight from Dallas to Los Angeles, in which she allegedly spit on another passenger who asked her to stop using racial slurs.
Kelly Pichardo, 32, was sentenced Friday to four months in prison after pleading guilty to interference with flight crew members.
Federal investigators say Pichardo and co-defendant Leeza Rodriguez, both from the Bronx, "engaged in unruly and intimidating behavior while traveling first class on an American Airlines flight" in February 2021.
According to CBS News, the women verbally and physically assaulted other passengers and crew members during the flight and used racial slurs when a male passenger asked them to stop. Pichardo also allegedly spit at the man, who then tried to record the altercation, CBS reported.
Their actions caused such a disturbance that the pilot had to divert the flight to Phoenix, Arizona so Pichardo and Rodriguez could be removed from the plane. Following the incident, both women were banned from future flights with American Airlines.
"There is a line between boorish behavior on an airplane and criminal activity, and the defendant clearly crossed it," U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Gary Restaino said in a statement.
Restaino added that Pichardo's first class privileges did not shield her from responsibility.
"First class passengers are not immune from prosecution: defendant's verbal and physical intimidation disrupted the travel of passengers and crew alike," he said.
As part of sentencing, Pichardo was ordered to pay more than $9,000 in restitution to American Airlines. She will also serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty is scheduled to be sentenced in November.
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