When Uber driver Subhakar Khadka was coughed on during a disagreement with a passenger who was not wearing a mask, it's unlikely he might have expected thousands of dollars would be raised on his behalf.
But since a GoFundMe page was set up for his benefit, people from all over the globe have rallied around to support Mr Khadka. The account has received 4,700 donations with over $100,000 (£72,000) raised so far, of an initial $20,000 target.
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The incident took place on 7 March in San Francisco's Bayview neighbourhood, with video footage emerging from the Uber driver, which shows a maskless woman arguing about where she and her friends are being dropped off.
It's claimed that, after Mr Khadka asked the three women to put masks on, one began to taunt him before she removed his mask and even coughed on him.
The woman who can be seen coughing on Mr Khadka was later identified as 24-year-old Arna Kimiai and San Francisco Police Department confirmed that she had surrendered to authorities.
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According to ABC7, Kimiai now faces charges of first degree robbery, battery on a transit employee, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Lt. Tracy McCray, who heads the San Francisco Police Department's robbery detail, said the 24-year-old's 'callous' behaviour would be met with justice.
Speaking before she had handed herself in, McCray said: "The behaviour captured on video in this incident showed a callous disregard for the safety and wellbeing of an essential service worker in the midst of a deadly pandemic.
"We take this conduct very seriously in San Francisco, and we're committed to ensuring that justice is done in this case."
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In an update on the GoFundMe page, which was set up by Cyan Banister, Mr Khadka said: "I would like to sincerely thank everybody for the love and support showered upon me. It was a really unfortunate event last week and it has not been easy ever since. I hope nobody has to go through that."
He added: "The encouragement from this community and people around the world has helped me to move forward and believe in humanity and justice."
Featured Image Credit: Nexar