A California man may face charges in Arizona for intentionally coughing on a gas pump handle while referencing the spread of coronavirus, police said.
The man, identified only as a 23-year-old man from Winterhaven, was questioned after cops in Yuma received multiple reports of video circulating on social media Saturday showing the unsanitary deed, police said.
The suspect later admitted to coughing on the pump during an interview Sunday at the Yuma Police Department, Sgt. Lori Franklin said.
“He came in willingly and did a full interview,” Franklin said. “He admitted to the fact that that was him on the video.”
The man got the idea “from other social media videos” he’d previously seen on the internet, police said in a statement.
“He blatantly coughed on the handle and said, ‘This is how you get coronavirus,’” Franklin said of the footage, which was posted to Snapchat.
The suspect did not show any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, police said.
Charges of unlawful use of infectious biological substance — a felony — will now be sent to Yuma County prosecutors for review, Franklin said.
A spokeswoman for Yuma County Attorney Jon Smith said his office had not received the case as of Monday.