January 29, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Paulina Reyes, 22, is charged with simple assault, harassment and related offenses for a Jan. 19 altercation in which she pepper-sprayed conservative influencer Frank Scales on a SEPTA bus, authorities say. Video of the incident went viral on social media. Above, a stock photo of a SEPTA bus.
A woman who was filmed pepper-spraying a right-wing influencer during an argument on a SEPTA bus earlier this month now faces charges after the clip went viral and garnered national attention from conservative groups on social media.
Paulina Reyes, 22, was charged Thursday with simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct and possession of an instrument of crime, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General said. The case will be prosecuted by the attorney general's mass transit prosecutor, a role that was created in 2023 to oversee some crimes that occur on SEPTA property.
On Jan. 19, Reyes was riding a SEPTA bus when she got into a heated argument with Frank Scales, the conservative influencer who runs the website Surge Philly and frequently posts clips of himself interviewing people at protests in the city. Scales has been an especially outspoken critic of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat now in his third term who's been a steadfast opponent of the Trump administration.
Cellphone video that Scales posted on social media shows Reyes call him a "fascist" before she attempts to pepper-spray him a first time. Later in the edited video, Reyes is shown accusing Scales of using his platform to insult Muslims, Black people and Mexicans. She then pepper-sprays Scales, who's shown seated on the bus afterward with his eyes shut. A friend filming Scales asks if he's OK.
"Second pepper-spray, baby," says Scales, 22. "Better than ever."
The attorney general's office said the incident happened on the 2300 block of Carpenter Street in South Philly. Reyes, who's briefly shown in the video standing outside the bus, is filmed stepping back into the vehicle to confront Scales. The incident was initially investigated by SEPTA Transit Police.
At various points in the video, Reyes asks Scales and his friend not to record her. She's shown trying to grab the phone being used to record her from Scales' friend and also striking Scales in the head.
Surveillance video from the SEPTA bus also captured the incident, the attorney general's office said.
“This case is a reminder that violence will not be tolerated as a means to conduct political debate, protest, or exhibit differences,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday (R). “This type of violence is senseless, as we have an individual facing criminal charges over political disagreement.”
The cellphone video taken on the bus circulated widely on conservative social media accounts, racking up millions of views. Scale's Surge Philly X account described Reyes as an "Antifa agitator" in a post that drew a reply from billionaire Elon Musk, who wrote, "She has violence issues."
Reyes is a former intern at WHYY, which first reported on the incident. Reyes and Scales already knew each other previously from their time in student government at Community College of Philadelphia, where Reyes is still a student. Scales left the college to pursue content creation, according to the Inquirer.
Last week, Reyes told the Inquirer she pepper-sprayed Scales because he refused to stop filming her.
“I got mad and I wanted to defend myself because he wasn’t listening,” Reyes said. “I did what I thought was the safest thing to protect myself. I pepper-sprayed him in the face.”
Scales' notoriety has grown in recent months after his appearances at protests and other events, including a September town hall that Krasner held to discuss the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops in U.S. cities. During that event, Scales interrupted Krasner and was asked by security to leave the church where the town hall was held.
Later that month, Scales approached Krasner at a park in West Philadelphia and argued with the district attorney while filming the exchange.
"You're anti-American," Krasner told Scales, according a video posted on his TikTok. "This is about you and your ego."
Krasner vehemently opposed the state law, Act 40, that authorized the appointment of a special prosecutor to handle SEPTA-related crimes. He unsuccessfully challenged the law in court, calling it an "arbitrary" and "unconstitutional" power play by Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg. Krasner argued the law disenfranchises Philadelphia voters who elected him as the city's top prosecutor and usurps powers that belong to his office.
Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry, a Democrat, appointed Michael Untermeyer as the office's mass transit prosecutor in 2024 after an extended search. Untermeyer was a private attorney and once worked in the Philadelphia DA's office under Ed Rendell, a Democrat. Untermeyer made an unsuccessful Republican run for district attorney in 2009.
Krasner's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the charges brought against Reyes.
Reyes was arraigned Thursday morning and released on her own recognizance, meaning she was not required to post bail. Court documents show she will appear in court in Philadelphia on March 3 in front of Judge Joffie Pittman.
