One woman has been arrested and another is reportedly surrendering to police after a video of a chaotic Uber ride went viral. On Sunday (March 7), three women were riding in an Uber through San Francisco when things got out of hand.
A viral clip of the incident showed the women harassing and coughing on their Uber driver, Subhakar Khadka, after refusing to wear masks inside his car. One woman, identified as Arna Kimiai, grabbed Khadka’s cellphone, ripped off his mask and yelled, “I got Corona!” Police believe the women also sprayed pepper spray inside Khadka’s car.
Malaysia King, the woman wearing red in the clip, was subsequently arrested by the Las Vegas Police Department. She has been charged with assault with a caustic chemical, assault and battery, conspiracy and for violating a health and safety code.
According to reports, 24-year-old Kimiai is not in custody yet, but her lawyer says she plans to turn herself in to police soon.
“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,” Lt. Tracy McCray said in a statement.
“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,” she continued. “We take this conduct very seriously in San Francisco and we’re committed to ensuring that justice is done in this case.”
According to police, the altercation occurred after Khadka asked one of the women to wear a mask while riding in his car. When she refused, he decided to cancel the ride. In the video that he recorded, Kimiai can be heard yelling, “Fuck the masks!” Since the incident, Kimiai has been banned from using both Uber and Lyft.
Along with profanities, Khadka says the women also yelled racial slurs at him. See video of the incident below.