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Woman arrested in Las Vegas in connection to viral San Francisco Uber driver attack

Las Vegas Uber
Posted at 8:11 AM, Mar 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-12 10:13:56-05

LAS VEGAS — Police in Las Vegas have arrested a woman in connection to an attack on an Uber driver in San Francisco over the weekend.

The attack, which reportedly began after a passenger refused to put on a mask, happened on Sunday. Video of the incident quickly went viral on social media.

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According to the San Francisco Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrested 24-year-old Malaysia King in connection to the incident.

A second woman, 24-year-old Arna Kimiai, is also a suspect. She remains outstanding, police say, but her lawyer tells authorities that she intends to turn herself in soon.

The video shows a woman coughing at the driver and grabbing his phone. The driver says he was pepper-sprayed as well.

King was arrested Thursday charged with the following: assault with a caustic chemical, assault and battery, conspiracy and violation of health and safety code.

Lt. Tracy McCray, who heads the San Francisco Police Department’s Robbery Detail, provided the following statement in a Facebook post.

“We’re glad to hear that Ms. Kimiai intends to do the right thing and turn herself in to the nearest law enforcement agency, and we hope it happens promptly. The behavior captured on video in this incident showed a callous disregard for the safety and wellbeing of an essential service worker in the midst of a deadly pandemic. We take this conduct very seriously in San Francisco, and we’re committed to ensuring that justice is done in this case.”

The incident remains under investigation.

This story was originally published by Amy Abdelsayed on KTNV in Las Vegas.