SEATTLE — Seattle police arrested a 32-year-old woman Monday who is suspected of pepper spraying a woman and her child in an elevator at Pike Place Market.
Officers responded to a report of an assault at the market at about 4:30 p.m.
When officers arrived, they found the suspect pushing a stroller that had a bottle of bleach and was carrying a can of pepper spray.
After the victim asked the woman if everything was OK, the suspect pulled out a can of pepper spray and discharged it at the woman and her child, police said.
According to investigators, the victim told officers that she was in an elevator with the suspect when she heard the woman swearing to herself.
Medics treated the victims at the scene.
Officers located the suspect and took her into custody.
According to the King County Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect told officers that the victims were not wearing masks.
Investigators said the suspect told police that the woman was “yelling at her” and she took out the pepper spray and “accidentally” pepper sprayed the two.
She told officers “she is ‘in a high-risk category’ and very concerned about the ‘Delta variant’ of COVID-19.”
According to the King County Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect claimed that she was defending herself because of the ongoing pandemic.
She was booked into the King County Jail on suspicion of assault and assault of a child.