A California woman who was allegedly filmed coughing on and striking an Uber driver earlier this month turned herself in to police on Sunday.
The San Francisco Police Department said in a statement that Arna Kimiai, 24, surrendered to police after an arrest warrant was issued charging her with robbery, assault and battery, conspiracy, and violation of health and safety code. Kimiai and a second woman, Malaysia King, 24, have been arrested in connection with a March 7 incident involving an Uber driver.
KPIX reported that King was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday after she tried to use a fake identification card to illegally withdraw funds from a bank account.
On March 7, the driver reportedly told responding officers that he picked up Kimiai, King, and another woman but stopped the ride after realizing one of them was not wearing their mask. The suspects allegedly assaulted the victim after he informed them he could not proceed with the trip until they were in compliance.
Dashcam footage appears to catch Kimiai coughing on the rideshare driver before another passenger sprays him while exiting the vehicle. The women are also accused of snatching his mask off his face, taking his cellphone, and calling him racial slurs.
In addition to the criminal charges, TMZ reported that Kimiai is facing a civil lawsuit for a 2019 car crash in Los Angeles that left a female driver seriously injured. Kimiai was accused of making a reckless turn that resulted in her crashing into the woman.
As far as the criminal case involving Kimiai and King, police said their investigation is ongoing.
Kimiai’s attorney told KPIX, “Ms. Kimiai acted appropriately and responsibly when she found out she had a warrant for her arrest, coordinating her peaceful surrender through her legal counsel and the SFPD. We have no further comment at this time.”
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[Featured image: Subhakar Khadka/video screengrab]
