Woman charged in spitting incidents at Rittenhouse Di Bruno Bros., police say

This article originally appeared on NBC10.

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What to Know

• On back-to-back days, a woman lowered her face mask and spit on a fellow customer and worker at the Rittenhouse Di Bruno Bros. food market.
• In one incident, the woman lowered her face covering, said “B—-, I don’t have the virus,” and spit in the complainant’s face, Philadelphia police said. said.
• On Thursday night, police announced the arrest of Jacqueline McBride. She was charged with simple assault, making terroristic threats and harassment.

Twice in the same weekend, an angry woman spit in the face of someone else in a popular Rittenhouse-area food market open during the coronavirus pandemic, Philadelphia police said. In one incident she declared she didn’t have “the virus” before spitting.

The latest incident played out around 11:30 a.m. Sunday inside the D Bruno Bros. location at 1730 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia police said.

A shopper said she exchanged words about social distancing with a woman after being bumped into, police said. The woman in a three-quarter length black jacket, dark pants and a red bandanna around her neck then lowered her face covering, said “B—-, I don’t have the virus,” and spit in the complainant’s face, investigators said.

The woman who was spat on had on a mask and glasses and wasn’t injured, police said.

A witness, who also works in the store, told investigators that the same attacker spat on him the day before, police said. Saturday’s spitting attack happened after the worker and the woman had an argument over how she wanted to pay for items.

On Thursday, Mayor Jim Kenney responded to the incident: “Obviously it’s unconscionable and criminal.”

Then on Thursday night, police announced the arrest of 27-year-old Jacqueline McBride. She was charged with simple assault, making terroristic threats and harassment. It was unclear if she had an attorney who could comment on her behalf.

“We are troubled by this incident and are fully cooperating with the police,” Di Bruno’s marketing manager Leah Donnelly told NBC10 while noting the company couldn’t comment further due to the ongoing investigation. “We are in touch with the victim and are lending our support in any way that we can.”

In response to the coronavirus pandemic Di Bruno’s is requiring all customers wear masks, limiting the number of customers inside any of its stores at one time, deep cleaning inside and outside stores and taking other measures.

“During these and all times we take the safety and security of our employees and customers extremely seriously,” Donnelly said.