A Carson woman accused of attacking a group of teenagers at a local Taco Bell with pepper spray now faces up to six years in prison.
LA County Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced Thursday that Nicole Coleman, 36, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of child abuse and a misdemeanor count of using tear gas.
“While I am relieved that none of the young victims sustained any significant injuries, the nature of this attack is deeply troubling,” Gascón said in a press release. “As adults, we have a responsibility to be role models for our youth, and violence in any form is never an acceptable response.”
The incident took place on Sept. 11 at 5:42 p.m., according to the district attorney’s office, and was captured on video that quickly spread online.
The video shows a woman peppering a group of Carson High School students and yelling obscenities. A fight then breaks out and blows are exchanged between the minors and the woman. The woman is seen throwing a teenager to the ground and hitting the same minor with a laptop.
“This is not something they deserve,” Vanessa Rodriguez, mother of one of the teenagers, told KCAL on September 11
The teenagers who were there told KCAL the conflict started last year with two girls fighting over a boy, then escalated dramatically last week when one of the mothers came to Taco Bell with pepper spray.
“These girls are so traumatized and scared by everything that’s happening,” Rodriguez added.
Coleman was arrested that evening by the LA County Sheriff’s Department and pleaded not guilty Wednesday during a arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Compton.
“Our office will continue to hold accountable those who endanger the safety and well-being of others in our community,” Gascón said, “especially our youth.”