Phoenix, July 7 A woman in the US state of Arizona, which has witnessed a recent surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, was arrested for smashing down a display of face masks at a store here.
A video clip posted on Twitter on Sunday showed the woman, now named "QAnon Karen" by internet followers, smashing down the display at a Target retail outlet in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.
In the video, with over 4 million views so far, the woman can be heard saying "finally we meet the end of the road" as she approaches the mask display and tears it down.
After she was approached by two store employees wearing masks and asked to stop, the woman asked: "Why? You let everyone else do it. I can't do it because I'm a blonde white woman?"
Another video posted later showed police arresting the woman at her home.
She claimed to be a spokesperson for QAnon and the White House and wanted the police to "call (President) Donald Trump and ask him" because she can't share any "classified information".
QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory detailing a supposed secret plot by an alleged "deep state" against Trump and his supporters.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona exceeded 100,000 on Monday.
Rapidly increasing cases and hospitalizations have made the Grand Canyon State one of the worst COVID-19 hotspots in the nation.
The state has no mandate to wear mask; however, major cities in the state all ordered mask wearing to contain the fatal disease.
The US currently accounts for the world's highest number of infections and fatalities at 2,935,008 and 130,277, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
( With inputs from IANS )