Sandy MaloneSan Francisco, CA – Police have arrested the first of several women involved in an attack on a San Francisco Uber driver who asked a passenger to wear a mask inside his vehicle on Sunday (video below).
The incident occurred on March 7 when Uber driver Subhakar Khadka pulled his vehicle over in the Bayview district to ask the women riding in the backseat to wear masks inside his car, KPIX reported.
When the women failed to comply, Khadka told them to get out of his car.
And that’s when the surveillance video from inside the Uber showed the unmasked woman began to attack the driver.
One unmasked woman repeatedly coughed on Khadka and told him that she had Covid, the Associated Press reported.
Then she reached forward and grabbed Khadka’s cell phone where it was mounted on his dashboard.
The driver turned around and was able to take it back from her, but the women continued their verbal assault on him and tore off his mask, the video showed.
“Now you about to get beat the f—k up,” the women told him multiple times in the video.
One of the women pepper-sprayed Khadka when they got out of the vehicle, the Associated Press reported.
Police arrested 24-year-old Malaysia King in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Court records showed that when she was arrested, King was already facing burglary charges in Clark County, Nevada and had just been released from jail on her own recognizance as long as she “stayed out of trouble,” KVVU reported.
King was booked into jail on new charges that included suspicion of assault with a caustic chemical, assault and battery, conspiracy, and violation of the health code.
She was held without bail, the Associated Press reported.
King is the woman who was featured on the left side of the video screen.
Court records showed she is due to appear in court on March 15.
Police have also issued a warrant for the arrest of 24-year-old Arna Kimiai, the unmasked woman sitting behind the driver who stole his phone, tore off his mask, and assaulted him, KVVU reported.
Kimiai posted a video to social media on March 9 that explained her side of things and blamed it all on Uber.
In it, she admitted assaulting him.
California anti-masker who coughed on a driver says she plans to sue Uber pic.twitter.com/IjlGs0wnRg
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) March 9, 2021
She remained at large but San Francisco police have indicated that her attorney said she planned to turn herself in.
“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,” San Francisco Police Lieutenant Tracy McCray said in a statement, according to the KPIX.
“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,” Lt. McCray said. “We take this conduct very seriously in San Francisco, and we’re committed to ensuring that justice is done in this case.”
Khadka told police he thought he was targeted because he is a South Asian immigrant.
Uber has since banned all three of the passengers from its service, the Associated Press reported.
“Uber does not tolerate racism or hate in any form, against any community,” the rideshare company said in a statement.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. WARNING – Graphic Content and Obscene Language:
Holly Matkin
