Anti-masker, 24, who ripped off Uber driver's mask and coughed on him will turn herself in to police and friend who used pepper spray in car is arrested
A mask-less Uber passenger who was caught on video ripping off her driver's mask and coughing on him is planning to turn herself into police, reports say.
A now-viral video showed Arna Kimiai, 24, berating driver Subhakar Khadka after he asked her to put on a mask while transporting her and two friends through San Francisco's Bayview District last Saturday.
Kimiai then coughed on him, tried to grab his cellphone and ripped off his face mask before he pulled over to drop the women off.
As the women got out of the car, 24-year-old Malaysia King allegedly deployed a chemical believed to be pepper spray at Khadka.
King was taken into custody on charges of assault with a caustic chemical, assault and battery, conspiracy and violation of health and safety code on Thursday, the Las Vegas Police Department said.
Kimiai's lawyer has said she will turn herself in to the San Francisco Police Department to face similar charges, according to local media reports.
Viral video showed maskless Arna Kimiai (backseat, left) ripping off driver Subhakar Khadka's mask and coughing on him after he picked her and two others up in San Francisco's Bayview District last Saturday. As Khadka dropped the women off, Malaysia King (backseat, right) allegedly deployed a chemical believed to be pepper spray into the car
Shocking footage filmed on Khadka's car camera showed Kimiai coughing before leaning forward to grab the driver's phone and then rip off his mask
The developments came hours after Kimiai defended herself in an Instagram video and threatened to sue Uber because Khadka kicked her out of his car.
Dressed only in her underwear, Kimiai claimed the driver forced her to get out of his vehicle on a freeway and refused to wait for another Uber to arrive, which she argued was unsafe because it was 'in the hood'.
Kimiai suggested the driver was 'lucky as hell' she didn't beat him up.
'He lucky as hell I ain't have nothing on me... Cause if we would've played with me, bruh, it would've been a whole different story,' she said.
'75 percent of people I know would have smacked the s**t out of him.
'All I did take his mask off and cough a little bit but I don't even have corona.'
She stopped short of apologizing, saying instead: 'I ain't gonna lie, that was disrespectful as f**k. I was dead a** wrong for that'.
She insisted the whole ordeal could have been avoided if the driver had just waited and made sure she and her friends were safe.
Kimiai, who has threatened to sue Uber, said in the Instagram video that she preferred rival Lyft anyway.
'F**king stupid a** Uber bruh, that's why I take Lyft,' she said.
Kimiai defended herself in an Instagram video (pictured) and threatened to sue Uber because Khadka kicked her out of his car. Dressed only in her underwear, Kimiai claimed the driver forced her to get out of his vehicle on a freeway and refused to wait for another Uber to arrive, which she argued was unsafe because it was 'in the hood'.
Both Uber and Lyft have since banned Kimiai from using their ride-sharing services.
In response to her Instagram Live video, Lyft tweeted: 'Although this incident did not involve the Lyft platform, the unacceptable treatment of the driver in this video compelled us to permanently remove the rider from the Lyft community.'
Khadka, the driver, told ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday that the ordeal was 'unbearable' and he believes it was racially motivated.
'She started taunting me, cursing me... they were making fun of my race,' Khadka said.
'It was unbearable. It was threatening, I was scared for my life.'
After the women got out of his car, Khadka said one of the women sprayed pepper spray at him through the window.
San Francisco Police are still investigating the incident.
In the now-viral video, the three women can be seen sitting in the back seat of Khadka's car - with Kimiai not wearing a mask.
When Khadka asked her to cover her face, she coughed in his direction and the three friends could be heard saying: 'F*** the masks.'
San Francisco police confirmed they are investigating the incident
Uber says it has suspended the account of the woman who ordered the car. Khadka - who is from Nepal - said he believes the incident was racially motivated
Khadka moved to the US from Nepal eight years ago to support his family, pictured
As the women continued to shout at Khadka, Kimiai then tried to grab his cellphone before ripping off his face mask.
Khadka told CBS: 'I never said anything bad to them, I never cursed, I was not raised that way. I don't hit people, I am not raised that way, so they were not getting out of my car.'
He said the altercation began when he asked the woman to put on her face mask.
When she refused, he said he pulled into a gas station so she could buy one. That's when he says the insults and racial slurs began.
Khadka - who moved to the US from Nepal eight years ago to support his family - added: 'You guys are animals to treat other human beings like this.
'She pepper sprayed inside my car, from the passenger window that was open little bit, that was the only window open in my car.
'If I was another complexion, I would have not gotten that treatment from them. The moment I opened my mouth to speak, they realized I'm among one of them, so it's easy for them to intimidate me.'
He told the women: 'Since you were born and raised here in the United States, don't think the other person is less human.'
Uber said in a statement: 'The behavior seen in the video is appalling. The rider no longer has access to Uber.'
They have given Khadka $120 in cleaning funds.
No comments