CALIFORNIA – Police have arrested a woman seen by witnessed and security footage deliberately striking pedestrians in the parking lot of a Northern California Walmart parking lot on Sunday.
On Thursday, police officers took 23-year-old Jessica Malicoat of Hayward into custody at her home on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators were easily able to pin Malicoat as the perpetrator thanks to numerous tips from local witnesses after the initial incident. She has since been booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, held without bail.
According to the police, the event occurred around 6 PM when Malicoat walked into the Union City Walmart. She left the store soon thereafter, visibly upset after employees apparently declined to accept batteries she had wished to return.
Malicoat thought to deal with the situation be entering her silver Honda Accord and back out hastily while near striking a family walking behind her. As she continued to back up, she reportedly hit numerous people, among which were a 3-year-old girl and her mother who just barely escaped injury by running out of the way. She then exited the lot while speeding as people frantically hop out of the way, police say.
Malicoat is set to be arraigned at the Fremont Hall of Justice on Monday.
