Disturbing video captures the moment a young woman unloaded a can of pepper spray in her Uber driver’s eyes in Manhattan this week — before she was arrested and cut loose with a desk appearance ticket.
Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was riding in the back seat of the Uber with another young woman at the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 65th Street on the Upper East Side around 11:20 p.m. Tuesday when she suddenly attacked the 45-year-old driver, according to cops and the footage.
The man behind the wheel was talking on the phone when Guilbeault reached around and sprayed the canister in his face, according to the clip, which has circulated on Reddit, Instagram and YouTube.
“What? What? What?” the victim repeatedly yelled, and tried to block Guilbeault — but she held his arm down, the video shows.
As the driver tried to open his door and escape, she discharged the spray once more — despite cries from her friend, “Jen, Jen, Jen!”
“Jen, what the f–k!” What did you do?” the other woman yelled, after the driver managed to worm his way out of the car.
“What are you doing now?” the motorist could be heard saying.
Guilbeault stepped out of the car and appeared like a deer in headlights as her pal kept questioning her.
“OK, take your stuff. Let’s go. We have to go,” the other woman finally said, before the clip cut off.
The driver refused medical attention for discomfort in his eye, cops said.
Guilbeault was arrested around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday and charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, police said.
She was handed a desk appearance ticket, which requires her to appear in court on a later date, and released, cops said.Â
She has no prior arrests, according to authorities.
The motive for the attack is unclear, according to police.
Guilbeault has been banned from using Uber following the attack, a spokesperson for the ride-hailing service told The Post.
“The rider’s actions shown in the video are deplorable. Violence is not tolerated, and the rider has been banned from the Uber platform. We will support police in their investigation however we can,” the Uber spokesperson said in a statement.
The city’s Taxi & Limousine Commission also condemned Guilbeault’s actions.
“Violence against the city’s drivers, who are simply trying to serve customers and make an honest living, is intolerable and heartbreaking. Anyone who witnesses it or experiences it should always report it to NYPD,” TLC Commissioner David Do said in a statement.
