Mother Accused of Violent Abuse of Daughter During Flight, Second Charge in Six Months

Breanna Mistler, a 33-year-old mother from Sacramento, California, has been accused of mistreating her two-year-old daughter during a flight from Mexico to the US on May 1. According to federal court documents, Mistler violently shaked her daughter “like a rag doll” and repeatedly hit her, causing bruises on various parts of her body. This outburst occurred when the young child woke Mistler up during the flight. Other passengers intervened to protect the child, leading to an altercation between Mistler and them. The incident marks the second time in less than six months that Mistler has been charged with child endangerment; in December, she allegedly involved her daughter in a burglary attempt at her mother’s house and slashed her mother’s tires. As a result of these actions, Mistler faces charges of misdemeanor assault. Customs and Border Protection officials noticed signs of physical harm on the child when they detained Mistler at the airport, prompting the Port of Seattle Police and the FBI to take over the investigation. The child was taken care of by a victim witness specialist before being placed with a relative by Child Protective Services. The judge presiding over the case has decided to keep Mistler in custody because the assault took place in front of numerous individuals on a lengthy flight. The next hearing scheduled in the case is a preliminary examination set for May 16.