Coronavirus: After California woman coughs on baby, school employee named ‘person of interest’

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Days after police shared surveillance footage of a California woman accused of purposely coughing on a 1-year-old baby at a San Jose yogurt shop, an area school system employee has become a "person of interest" in the incident.

According to the Mercury News, the Oak Grove School District revealed the news Thursday in a statement posted to its website.

"We are aware of an incident allegedly involving one of our employees who was videotaped coughing on a baby at a local Yogurtland," read the statement, which did not name the worker. "We have been in contact with the San Jose Police Department (SJPD), which is investigating this incident and working to confirm the identity of the individual involved."

The employee "is currently off of work and not providing any services to our district students," the statement continued, adding that the district "will take appropriate steps once the identity of the individual in question is confirmed."

According to San Jose police, the alleged assault occurred June 12 inside a Yogurtland shop. Investigators told KRON that a white woman in her 60s became upset that the infant’s mother was not following social distancing rules amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“The suspect removed her face mask, got close to the baby’s face, and coughed two to three times,” police said in a news release Monday. “The suspect left the scene and has not been identified or apprehended.”

Police also publicly shared surveillance video of the suspect in an effort to uncover her identity.

In its statement Thursday, the Oak Grove School District called the incident "despicable."

"There is no place in the Oak Grove School District for any employee who would deliberately cause harm to a child," the statement read. "If the district receives confirmation from SJPD that the individual involved in the Yogurtland incident is our employee, we will take immediate action."

If you have information about the case, call San Jose police at 408-277-4161 or Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867.

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