California Woman Accused of Violent In-Flight Abuse of Two-Year-Old Daughter, Second Child Endangerment Charge in Six Months

Breanna Mistler, a 33-year-old woman from Sacramento, California, has been accused of violently attacking her two-year-old daughter during a flight from Mexico to Seattle on May 1st. According to court documents, Mistler repeatedly kicked and backhanded her daughter after the child woke her up, causing serious harm. She reportedly shook the child “like a rag doll” and screamed profanities, leading to altercations with fellow passengers who attempted to intervene. This incident marks the second time in less than six months that Mistler has faced charges relating to child endangerment. In December 2023, she allegedly involved her daughter in a burglary attempt at her mother’s house, resulting in tire slashing. Customs and Border Protection officials apprehended Mistler upon arrival in Seattle and discovered visible bruises on the child’s body. The Port of Seattle Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have taken charge of the investigation. The judge has decided to keep Mistler in custody, citing the severity of the assaults committed in front of numerous witnesses throughout the lengthy duration of the flight. A preliminary examination has been scheduled for May 16th. The child has been temporarily placed with a relative, under the care of Child Protective Services. The disturbing nature of these incidents has left prosecutors labeling the situation as “shocking, even by the horrific standards of child abuse cases”.