‘Irate’ traveler hits American Airlines worker who told her to wear mask, AZ police say

Despite the airline’s policy, a passenger refused to wear a mask onboard an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Arizona Family reported.

While the woman tried to board a connecting flight at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Aug. 12, an employee stopped her at the gate, according to the Arizona Republic. She became furious and hit the employee in the face, KOLD reported.

“After arriving into Phoenix and being informed that they would not be able to take their connecting flight to Las Vegas, the individual became irate and struck an American team member in the terminal,” said Curtis Blessing, a spokesperson for American Airlines, according to the KSAZ.

A since-deleted video posted by a witness on Twitter showed part of the incident, the Republic reported.

The worker was not hurt, according to KOLD. Yolanda Yarbrough, 47, of Los Angeles, was arrested at the airport and booked into jail on an assault charge, Arizona Family reported.

American Airlines placed Yarbrough on an “internal refuse list” pending an investigation into the incident, according to KSAZ. The company instituted a policy in May requiring travelers wear face coverings while onboard the plane, Arizona Republic reported. Sky Harbor Airport also requires customers to wear masks while in the terminal, according to the Republic.

This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 1:40 PM with the headline "‘Irate’ traveler hits American Airlines worker who told her to wear mask, AZ police say."