Video captures woman lunging from backseat, pepper spraying Uber driver in NYC

NEW YORK -- An Uber operator successful New York was capsicum sprayed by a rider for nary evident reason.

The incidental happened Friday connected NYC's Upper East Side.

Video provided by the operator shows a pistillate lunging guardant from the backseat, reaching around, and spraying the unsuspecting antheral successful the face. The driver, Shohel Mahmud, scrambles to get retired of the car, arsenic the pistillate keeps grabbing his limb and spraying him.

Police person since arrested 23-year-old Jen Guilbeault and charged her with assault.

There was a 2nd pistillate successful the backseat who appeared horrified by the attack, but she's not presently facing immoderate charges.

Mahmud has since spoken retired astir the incident, saying Guilbeault started spraying him for nary reason.

"Yes, the burning lasted 2 hours," helium said. Seconds aft being sprayed, Mahmud tried to get retired of the car but inactive had his seatbelt on.

"I'm benignant of hanging retired of the car, truthful I instrumentality my buckle off, adjacent my eyes, and get retired and past I realized my car was inactive running," helium said. "I jumped successful and enactment successful parkland and got out."

Mahmud insists helium hadn't said a connection to the women.

"The rider's actions shown successful the video are deplorable," said an Uber spokesperson. "Violence is not tolerated, and the rider has been banned from the Uber platform. We volition enactment constabulary successful their probe nevertheless we can."

Guilbeault's roommate told Eyewitness News successful New York she had nary thought astir the incident, but has been successful interaction with her since.

Mahmud acknowledged the ordeal has wounded him financially arsenic helium is the breadwinner of his household who presently lives successful Bangladesh.

Guilbeault's lawyer could not beryllium reached for comment.