DENVER—A woman who received probation for punching an airline attendant is being held without bail until a Denver federal judge decides whether new assault allegations means she violated probation and should be sent to prison.
Christina Elizabeth Szele (ZELL’-ee), 36, of Queens, N.Y., faces up to 20 months in prison when she goes before U.S. District Judge John Kane at a hearing that will be scheduled later.
Szele, handcuffed, wearing eyeglasses and an orange jail uniform, did not speak at a hearing Tuesday before a magistrate judge. Szele waived her preliminary hearing and she was ordered held without bail.
In February, Kane sentenced Szele to probation after she pleaded guilty to interfering with a JetBlue crew member who tried to stop her from smoking. She was also ordered to pay $7,987 in restitution and to seek drug, alcohol and anger management counseling.
Authorities say Szele shouted slurs and punched the attendant during a New York-to-San Francisco flight in June.
The flight was diverted to Denver, where Szele was arrested.
Szele later was freed on $10,000 bail but was re-arrested Sept. 15 in New York for violating the terms of her release and ordered to a halfway house while her case was resolved. Authorities say she tested positive twice for cocaine and was also accused of misdemeanor assault in Queens, N.Y.
Szele had been granted permission to fly back to New York for a March 5 court date on the pending misdemeanor charge and she was still there when she was arrested again, this time for allegedly assaulting her sister-in-law.
