Taco Bell customer attacks teens with pepper spray inside eatery, CA officials say

A woman has been charged after being accused of pepper-spraying teens at a Taco Bell, California officials said.

On Sept. 11, the 36-year-old woman, later identified as Nicole Coleman, was at a Carson Taco Bell when she attacked three teenagers with pepper spray, according to a news release by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Coleman also is accused of attacking a teenage girl by punching her and throwing her to the ground, prosecutors said in the Sept. 19 release.

Officials didn’t specify what led to the attack or if Coleman knew the teens.

The incident was captured on video and went viral online, officials said.

”While I’m relieved that none of the young victims suffered significant injuries, the nature of this attack is deeply troubling,” District Attorney George Gascón said.

Coleman was charged with use of tear gas and child abuse, officials said.

She pleaded not guilty on Sept. 18, officials said.

If convicted, Coleman faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison, officials said.

Carson is about a 20-mile drive south of downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published September 20, 2024 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Taco Bell customer attacks teens with pepper spray inside eatery, CA officials say."