Police in Texas are in search of an 18-year-old woman who they believe is “willfully spreading” the coronavirus in the area.
The Carrollton Texas Police Department identified Lorraine Maradiaga Sunday as the young woman who has been seen on social media threatening to spread COVID-19. She has filmed herself as such places as Walmart while making these taunts.
“I’m here at Walmart about to infest every motherf—-r because if I’m going down all y’all motherf—-rs going down,” she said.
In another video, Maradiaga is seen at a coronavirus drive-through testing site when a nurse tells her to go home and wait for the results. She repeatedly coughed into the camera.
“If you want to get the coronavirus and (expletive) die, call me,” she said in one of videos, according to KXAS.
There is no confirmation whether or not this woman carried through on her threats. Nonetheless, officials have announced that she will be charged with making a terroristic threat once she has been taken into custody. Law enforcement is asking for the public’s help to apprehend her.
“We have identified the woman seen on social media claiming to be COVID-19 positive and willfully spreading it as 18-year-old Lorraine Maradiaga of Carrollton. We are charging her with Terroristic Threat, Texas Penal Code 22.07,” officials wrote in a Facebook post.
“We have not located her yet. If you know where she is, call (972) 466-3333 or email CrimeTips@CityofCarrollton.com. We have no confirmation Maradiaga is actually a threat to public health. We are, however, taking her social media actions very seriously.”
Maradiaga’s threats follow a string of incidents by people who have threatened to infect others with COVID-19 virus which has caused a pandemic. Last month, a man was charged with terrorism in New Jersey after coughing on a woman and claiming he had the coronavirus. A recent crime blotter in New Jersey, one of the four states with the most COVID-19 cases, revealed a slew of people claiming the virus to avoid or resist arrest.
The New York Times reported Monday that the coronavirus has killed more than 10,000 in the United States and over 72,000 people worldwide.