A Sacramento County woman has been charged in federal court with felony assault for allegedly punching a flight attendant on a Southwest Airlines flight.
Vyvianna Quinonez of Antelope was charged with one count of assault and another of interfering with a flight crew on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
According to a court document obtained by The Sacramento Bee, the incident occurred on May 23 at the San Diego International Airport when Quinonez refused to comply with instructions after being repeatedly asked by a flight attendant referred to as "S.L."
Quinonez then allegedly began pushing and assaulting the Southwest employee when they instructed her to "fasten her seat belt, stow her tray table and wear her face mask properly."
A video filmed by a passenger and shared with The Sacramento Bee showed Quinonez punching "S.L." in the cheek, causing blood to stream down the flight attendant’s face.
When Quinonez was escorted off the flight, she told officials that she was acting in self-defense, Port of San Diego Police Officers reported.
Quinonez is due for a court appearance on Sept. 17 in San Diego and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
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