WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — A woman at the center of a viral video showing her dumping trash in the middle of a Wheat Ridge parking lot turned herself in Tuesday.
She told police she was concerned about her safety after the video spread quickly on social media.
Wheat Ridge Police say the woman, who Denver7 has chosen not to identify, went to police headquarters and admitted to being the person caught on camera littering.
The video, shot by Rich Law, has garnered over 500,000 views and outrage by thousands of commenters.
In the video, Law is seen confronting the woman who allegedly just dumped several fast-food containers into a parking lot in front of Applejack liquor store last week.
Law approaches the woman, asking “Is that the most appropriate place for that?” The video shows the woman ignore Law and drive off, leaving the pile of trash behind.
The woman told police she felt aggravated after returning from a nearby retail store. She opened her vehicle to find trash on her seat and dumped it out in the parking lot, thinking to herself "they can just clean their parking lot," according to a police report.
The woman told police she recalls Law approaching her with his cellphone recording. But said she "wasn't going to talk to him, so I just drove off."
Law eventually posted that video to Facebook, where it quickly gained hundreds of thousands of views. The video also garnered several comments and posts from the public, including photos of the woman's vehicle parked in front of her home.
She told Wheat Ridge Police she was concerned for her safety due to the response to the video. She was also upset about how the department handled the issue, the report read.
Police discussed crime prevention and personal safety techniques with the woman and advised her to call Denver Police if she ever feels harassed or threatened.
Police say the woman was cited for littering. She was summoned to appear in court where a judge will determine if criminal charges will be pursued.
