Woman squirted nail polish remover into eyes and mouths of salon workers over broken nail

A customer who allegedly squirted nail polish remover into the eyes and mouths of employees at a southern New Jersey nail salon has been charged with aggravated assault and a weapons offence.



After getting her nails done last Friday, 29-year-old Hakera Cochran allegedly became incensed when one nail broke, so she returned to MEI Holiday Nails to register her displeasure. According to police, Cochran began shouting at salon employees, who unsuccessfully sought to placate her.

During her tirade, Cochran allegedly grabbed a bottle of nail polish remover and squirted the liquid into the eyes and mouths of two workers, according to a criminal complaint. The victims were later treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel for exposure to a “deadly weapon,” specifically “a spray bottle filled with an acetone that removes paint.”



Cochran, who lives in Bridgeton, the city where the salon is located, was subsequently arrested for aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. After being booked on those counts, Cochran was released on her own recognizance, according to a Municipal Court official.