Bleach Fight Shuts Baltimore Walmart
Patrons' fight turns noxious, forcing evacuation and brief closure.
Oct. 9, 2011— -- A Saturday morning of shopping turned into an emergency hazmat situation at a Baltimore Walmart where two patrons threw bleach and disinfectant at one another, officials said.
Baltimore County Police responded to a call at about 10:48 a.m. Saturday and found two women fighting inside the store.
The bleach and disinfectant created toxic fumes, forcing the immediate evacuation of the entire Arbutus store, officials told ABC News affiliate ABC 2. It closed for several hours.
Fire, EMS and hazardous materials units were dispatched to the scene, as well as 10 medics.
Nineteen people reportedly received treatment, including three Walmart employees. One person was taken to the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital for treatment, officials said.
Three Walmart employees were being treated for respiratory problems, a Walmart spokeswoman told ABC News.
Police have arrested Theresa Monique Jefferson, 33, after she turned herself in to authorities, according to the Associated Press.
She has reportedly been charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, theft under $100 and malicious destruction of property. She is being held on $350,000 bail.
The brawl was a result of an ongoing dispute between Jefferson and the victim because the victim's boyfriend is the father of Jefferson's child, according to the AP.
Police spokesman Shawn Vinson told the Washington Post that Jefferson initiated the attack when she followed the victim into the store.
For Walmart's part, "this is obviously not the type of behavior we would expect from people at our stores. We apologize for any inconvenience this caused to our customers," the spokeswoman said.
Walmart closed the store for several hours to clean and ventilate it.
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