The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A woman is facing charges after she allegedly smacked a store employee and tore the protective mask off his face when she was told she would have to wear a face mask if she wanted to enter the establishment.
Around noon on May 20, an employee of Menards in Mankato, Minnesota reportedly encountered a woman trying to enter the store without a face covering.
The worker reportedly informed the woman about the store policy requiring face masks for all customers and employees, but she allegedly refused to follow the rule.
The woman allegedly tried to engage in an argument with the employee, and after a few moments, she reportedly slapped him before reaching over and tugging his mask off of his nose and mouth area.
One of the alleged victim’s coworkers spotted the incident and came over to the scene to defend the man, and he told the woman that she would have to depart from the premises.
According to the statement of probable cause, the woman responded by lashing out at the employee she was initially interacting with and ripping “his mask off before throwing the mask in the garbage.”
After the alleged interaction, the woman reportedly ran off without further incident and the police were notified about the event.
Using the store’s surveillance footage, in addition to more than three dozen people claiming they knew who the suspect was, the police were able to match a driver’s license photo and purported that 35-year-old Heidi Ruth Mueller was the person they were seeking.
Mueller is expected to face charges for misdemeanor disorderly conduct, and two misdemeanor counts of assault for the accusations, and she could face jail time and fines if convicted.
If you or someone you love is suspected of an assault or battery offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.