Woman accused of spraying Lysol on Roche Bros shoppers and 'attempting to set them on fire'
BOSTON - A woman is accused of spraying an aerosol cleaner on shoppers inside a Downtown Crossing supermarket and then trying to light the chemical on fire, Boston police said.
Officers responded to the incident at Roche Bros on Summer Street at 4:41 p.m. Thursday. They took 42-year-old Boston resident Syretta Copeland into custody after a short chase on foot.
In Boston Municipal Court, a prosecutor said Copeland was holding a lighter while spraying people with Lysol and "attempting to set them on fire." A security guard said she was trying to use the Lysol and lighter "like a flamethrower," according to the prosecutor.
Copeland is charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon, possession of an incendiary device and resisting arrest. She was held on $5,000 bail, and also had her bail revoked in another case in Roxbury.
A judge said Copeland "has a history of violence" including arson and assault with intent to murder convictions. Copeland was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation after a doctor told the court she was displaying symptoms of mental illness.