Woman accused of pepper spraying an Uber driver while he was praying in Arabic

MANHATTAN, NY. (Gray News) – A woman faces hate crime charges after she allegedly pepper-sprayed an Uber driver while he was praying.

Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, is charged with second- and third-degree assault as a hate crime and an aggravated misdemeanor.

According to the indictmentGuilbeault allegedly pepper-sprayed a 45-year-old Uber driver during a July 2024 anti-Muslim attack on the Upper East Side.

Court records and affidavits show that on July 31, 2024, at approximately 12:15 p.m., the Uber driver was in the process of giving a ride to Guilbeault and another person who were sitting in the back of his car.

When the driver reached a red light, he began to pray in Arabic.

Guilbeault reportedly lunged forward toward the driver’s seat with a can of pepper spray in his hand. She sprayed water on the driver’s face, “causing burning, redness and pain.”

Minutes later, the driver called 911 and Guilbeault was arrested at the scene.

“As alleged, Jennifer Guilbeault senselessly attacked a Muslim Uber driver while he was doing his job,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said in a statement. statement. “The victim is a hard-working New Yorker who should not face this type of hatred because of his identity. Anyone can live and work in Manhattan, and our hate crimes unit will continue to address bias-motivated attacks by thoroughly investigating and prosecuting cases, conducting community outreach and supporting victims.”

The district attorney’s office says the charges in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.