A 74-year-old woman was arrested Saturday morning after allegedly using bear spray during an argument in a Trader Joe's parking lot in Lafayette, California. The incident, which occurred around 10:40 a.m. in the 3600 block of Mount Diablo Boulevard, resulted in one person being transported to the hospital.
According to the Lafayette Police Department, an altercation took place between two individuals. The suspect, identified as Monica Thomas of Oakland, is accused of pointing bear spray out of her driver-side window and spraying the other person. Police stated that Thomas sprayed the individual a second time as she drove away from the parking lot.
Witnesses provided officers with information about Thomas's vehicle and the direction she was traveling. Orinda police officers located the suspect's vehicle and detained her on westbound Highway 24. Eight people in total were exposed to the spray and received treatment from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
Thomas was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility and faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and illegal use of tear gas.