New York’s 'Spitting Lady' Arrested On Upper East Side

The largely infamous but unidentified woman, known for years around New York’s Upper East Side neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan as the “Spitting Lady,” was reportedly arrested Thursday morning.

The arrest of the 65-year-old unnamed woman, along with her 44-year-old son, came after a petition was started by local residents and penned to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and two local councilmen, which said: "The community is tired of nothing being done."

Law enforcement officials confirmed the arrest to the New York Post, but did not release names. She and her son were apprehended on East 78th street between 1st and 2nd Avenues at around 7 a.m. local time. The charges were unknown at the time of publishing.

“For years there has been a woman who has been wandering the streets of the upper east side who screams, yells and spits on people,” the petition read.

“Pedestrians see her on a daily basis, and despite numerous calls to police, the public was told to turn a blind eye. This woman is not only a nuisance, but she is a threat as she is assaulting people vilely with saliva. She mainly spits on children, while also hissing and yelling at them,” the petition continues.

For years, the “Spitting Lady” could be seen walking up and down streets and seemingly compulsively spitting and screaming, and had become a sort of local legend or tall tale covered widely by local newspapers and websites.

One City Council member, Ben Kallos, responded to the petition Thursday and said the Department of Homeless Services had been consulted and was working with the New York Police Department’s 19th Precinct to offer help to the “Spitting Lady.” However, she had refused.

He also stressed that while she's believed to have a mental illness her actions "would not be tolerated."

“As many of you have noted in your comments, she is suffering from a mental illness, and as a City and a community, we must do everything we can to get her the help that she needs,” Kallos wrote. “As you likely know, mental illness in itself is not a crime, but physical assault of any kind, including spitting on someone, is -- and it will not be tolerated. ”