ASHBURNHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Ashburnham police have made an arrest in connection with an incident involving a man who claimed to have COVID-19 before spitting in the direction of two women on a hiking trail in Ashburnham last week.
Hale Powell, 71, of Westford, pleaded not guilty to the assault in court Tuesday.
The women were admiring the Boston skyline from the Hudson Overlook on the Midstate Trail when Powell walked by and told them that they should be wearing facemasks because it was the “law,” according to the Ashburnham Police Department.
Video taken by one of the victims showed the man aggressively turn toward the girls, call them “selfish,” and state, “I have COVID.”
The man could then be seen removing his mask and spitting several times before claiming to have tested positive for the virus.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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