Though she essentially already admitted to the attack and offered a half-apology on Instagram Live, accused Uber driver assault suspect Arna Kimiai entered a not guilty plea to multiple charges on Monday.
Kimiai, 24, and a second woman, Malaysia King, 24, were both arrested and charged last month in the much publicized March 7 assault on Uber driver Subhakar Khadka. Khadka shared his own video of the incident with local news affiliate KPIX, showing Kimiai, King, and a third woman in the backseat of his vehicle, and Kimiai is not wearing a face mask, as is required in all Ubers. Khadka demanded she put on a mask or he was going to end the ride, and Kimiai and King become belligerent because they did not want to be left on the street in the Bayview, they said.
Kimiai subsequently tried to explain the situation in a series of social media posts, and in one she admitted, "I was disrespectful and dead-ass wrong."
Her Instagram account has since disappeared.
Kimiai has been charged with attempted robbery and assault on a hired transportation driver, which are both felonies, as KPIX reports. She entered her plea in an arraignment over Zoom, and a second hearing was set for Tuesday to set a date for trial. She'll be tried alongside codefendant King.
Kimiai has also been ordered to check in with Assertive Case Management three times a week, and she remains free on bail.
King was arrested in Las Vegas after being separately arrested that same week in an unrelated case — she's accused of bank fraud along with a male accomplice in an incident involving an alleged attempt to fraudulently gain access to another person's account. It's unclear if King is also out on bail.
Also, as TMZ reported, Kimiai is separately being sued in connection with a 2019 car crash in Los Angeles in which another woman claims Kimiai was being negligent, failed to properly look out, made an unsafe turn and struck her vehicle.
Previously: Awful Woman Coughs on SF Uber Driver, Tries to Steal His Phone After Being Told to Wear a Mask