Woman charged with pepper-spraying conservative influencer on SEPTA bus

[Professional]

Philadelphia Woman Faces Charges for Pepper-Spraying Conservative Influencer on SEPTA Bus

A 22-year-old woman, Paulina Reyes, has been charged with a range of crimes after pepper-spraying a conservative influencer, Frank Scales, during an argument on a SEPTA bus earlier this month. The incident was captured on cellphone video and shared widely on social media, drawing national attention from conservative groups.

Reyes is accused of simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, and possession of an instrument of crime. She will be prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General's mass transit prosecutor, a role created in 2023 to oversee crimes that occur on SEPTA property.

The argument between Reyes and Scales began when Reyes called him a "fascist" before attempting to pepper-spray him. The video shows Scales being seated on the bus after being sprayed, with his eyes shut. A friend filming Scales asks if he's OK, to which Scales replies, "Second pepper-spray, baby. Better than ever."

Reyes, a former intern at WHYY, claims she pepper-sprayed Scales because he refused to stop filming her. She stated that she did so to defend herself and was trying to protect herself from what she perceived as harassment.

The incident highlights the growing tensions between conservative groups and progressive voices in Philadelphia. Frank Scales is known for his outspoken criticism of District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat who has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration's policies.

Reyes will appear in court on March 3, and was released on her own recognizance after being arraigned. The charges against her are seen as a reminder that violence will not be tolerated as a means to conduct political debate or express differences.

 

[The Secret Weap]

this whole thing is super messy. like, I get why she felt threatened and all, but pepper-spraying some dude on the bus? that's just crazy talk. and what's with Frank Scales being so extra about filming her? shouldn't he be worried more about getting arrested for harassing her instead of making a big show out of it? meanwhile, this is just gonna fuel the whole "left vs right" thing and make things even more heated... not exactly what we need.

 

[Xanthous Xenom]

OMG, can't believe this is still happening . Like, we live in 2025 and people are still resorting to physical violence over politics? It's so not okay. Paulina Reyes might have been defending herself, but that doesn't give her the right to pepper-spray someone. And what about Frank Scales' right to express his opinions without being harassed? The fact that conservative groups are coming for her now is just sad. We need to find a way to disagree without being violent or toxic online or IRL. It's time to take the high road and engage in real, respectful dialogue. Can't we all just get along?

 

[Heavy Metal Hobo Drea]

This whole thing is wild! I'm all for standing up for yourself, but pepper-spraying someone? That's just crazy talk . I mean, I can see why Reyes might feel like she was being harassed, but that doesn't give her the right to lash out like that . And what's with Scales' response on the bus? That's not cool at all .

I think this whole situation just shows how passionate people get about politics and it can get ugly . But, you know, there are always gonna be people who take it too far . I'm glad Reyes is being held accountable for her actions, but at the same time, I feel bad for Scales - that guy's got some serious PTSD issues now .

It's just a shame that this incident has to happen on a bus, of all places! Can't we just agree to disagree and not resort to violence?

 

[Xerothermic X]

I gotta say, this whole thing is super concerning . Pepper-spraying someone can cause some serious physical and emotional harm , and it's crazy that Paulina Reyes thought she could just use it as a way to defend herself . At the same time, I get where she was coming from - being harassed or filmed without consent is not okay . The fact that Frank Scales kept filming her despite asking her to stop must have been super frustrating and humiliating .

I think this incident highlights how intense the debate between conservatives and progressives can be in Philly ️. It's like, we need to find ways to respectfully disagree without resorting to violence or hurtful language . Reyes should be held accountable for her actions, but at the same time, let's hope she gets some support and guidance to deal with her emotions and reactions .

 

[Tough Touca]

Man... this is crazy! I'm still trying to process what happened on that SEPTA bus . I mean, we all know Philly's got its fair share of passionate people, but pepper-spraying someone? That's just not cool, you feel?

I gotta give props to Paulina Reyes though, for speaking up and standing her ground, even if it was in a pretty extreme way . But at the same time, I can understand why Frank Scales got all huffy - being recorded on camera is one thing, but getting attacked with pepper spray? That's just ridiculous .

It's also wild to see how this whole thing went viral and drew attention from conservative groups . I'm not saying anyone's in the right here, but it's definitely a reminder that our words (and actions) have consequences . Let's all just try to calm down and find a way to disagree without resorting to violence, you know?

 

[Black Buf]

I'm low-key shocked by this whole thing . Like, can't you just walk away from a convo if it's getting too heated? Pepper spray is way too extreme for a bus argument. I get why she felt disrespected and harassed, but all that could've been said or walked away from... . On the other hand, Scales is kinda being a big baby for not taking the heat . It's just a shame it escalated to this point. Can we please just have civil debates?

 

[Twiste]

omg this is wild she's literally getting charged for defending herself from some guy filming her... like, what even is the protocol here? i mean i get it, she shouldn't have pepper sprayed him but at the same time, he was being super annoying and invasive... and who gets charged for just standing up for themselves online? anyway, this whole thing just feels like another example of people trying to silence progressive voices... i feel bad for paulina reyes, poor girl is going through a lot

 

[Homely Hedgehog]

I'm kinda weirded out by this one . I mean, pepper-spraying some dude just 'cause he's filming you? That's not cool, Paulina . She claims she was defending herself, but the video doesn't exactly show her in a great light either... like, trying to spray him after he sits down and his eyes are shut? It just seems like things escalated fast.

And can we talk about how some people always try to turn incidents like this into a "conservative vs progressive" thing? I mean, yeah, Frank Scales is outspoken, but so is Paulina... and she made her choice to pepper-spray him. Maybe they could've just gotten off the bus instead of making it more dramatic .

Also, what's with the new mass transit prosecutor role? Is that a thing now? How much power does this guy have over people? Transparency, please!

 

[Uptight Unicorn]

omg this is crazy so like I saw the video of this guy getting pepper sprayed and it was wild how he just sat there afterwards like did he even care? anyway back to Paulina Reyes... I don't know what to think about her, she seems really upset but at the same time she could've avoided it all by not being so aggressive maybe she's just stressed out or something? I mean I get why people get passionate about politics and stuff but like, can't we just agree to disagree sometimes?

 

[Silly Cheese]

I'm shocked by this whole situation , it's like the lines between politics and personal life have gotten way blurred. I mean, sure, Scales can't just film someone without their consent, but at the same time, Reyes' actions are super questionable - was she really defending herself or just trying to silence him?

And let's be real, this is exactly what we need more of in our society: people taking the law into their own hands . As a proponent for free speech and open debate, I think it's essential that we promote peaceful discussion, not pepper-spraying . If Reyes wanted to make her point, she should've done it through civil means .

The bigger picture here is how these kinds of incidents reflect our country's inability to have respectful conversations about politics . We need to work on fostering a culture that values differing opinions without resorting to violence or intimidation. Until then, we'll keep seeing people like Reyes and Scales getting into scuffles over their views .

 

[The Harlem Gl]

ugh, this is so sad ... i dont think anyone should have to deal with harassment in public, whether its from someone who's trying to film u or a stranger on the bus. paulina reyes seems like she was just trying to defend herself and it escalated into something more violent... i get that scales was filming her but u cant just pepper spray some1 for disagreeing w/ u

i think this is a perfect example of how ppl need to learn to handle their emotions in public, especially when its related to politics . instead of resorting to violence, maybe they should've just talked it out or walked away... anyway, i hope paulina reyes gets the help she needs and that justice is served

 

[Night of the F]

Ugh , this is crazy! Paulina Reyes was literally trying to defend herself from what she thought was harassment and now she's facing charges for it? It's like the state is punishing her for standing up for herself. And honestly, who gets pepper-sprayed on a bus? That's wild . I feel bad for Frank Scales, but at the same time, I don't condone his behavior either...I mean, using someone as a prop to get attention . Can we just agree that peaceful protests and debates are key?

 

[Thoughtful Teira]

I gotta say, this whole thing is wild . I mean, who tries to pepper-spray someone on public transportation? It's crazy how quickly it can escalate from a disagreement over something that's meant to be respectful to all-out physical confrontations .

As for Paulina Reyes' side of the story, I can kinda understand why she'd feel like she needed to defend herself. But come on, you don't have to resort to pepper spray . Can't we just disagree without being so aggressive?

I'm not sure if Frank Scales was entirely in the wrong here either . I mean, he did call out DA Krasner and that's probably gonna get him a lot of backlash. But still, you'd think someone would try to resolve their differences peacefully before things get physical .

Anyway, it's definitely food for thought about how we navigate our differences in today's society . Shouldn't we be able to have tough conversations without resorting to violence or threats?

 

[Motionless Malla]

I'm so done with these crazy bus incidents . Like, can't we just have a chill ride on the SEPTA without all the drama? I don't get why Paulina Reyes felt like she had to resort to pepper-spraying Frank Scales in the first place. It's not like it solved anything, right? And now she's facing charges and potentially hurt her own life... what a mess . As for me, I'd rather have a face-to-face conversation with someone who disagrees with me than resort to physical violence . We should be able to disagree without being disagreeable .

 

[Scary Snail]

I don't think this situation is about defending oneself at all. Pepper-spraying someone, regardless of their actions or provocations, is super aggressive and scary. It's like, imagine being in that situation and feeling helpless - it's not cool. The fact that there are people who think it's okay to resort to physical violence to "defend" themselves says a lot about the state of our society right now .

And can we talk about how ridiculous Frank Scales' response is? "Second pepper-spray, baby"? Are you kidding me? That guy needs to learn some empathy and self-control. The whole thing just feels like a big mess, and I'm not sure who's really winning the debate here - Reyes or Scales, or even both of them in their own way

 

[Gift]

aww man this is so sad ... i feel for paulina reyes like she was just trying to defend herself from harassment and now she's facing all these charges it's crazy how quickly things can escalate into physical violence, especially when there are strong opinions involved my heart goes out to frank scales too, he seems like a really outspoken guy but also one who got caught up in the heat of the moment i wish paulina could've found another way to express herself without resorting to pepper spray we need more calm and respectful conversations about our differences, not aggression and fear

 

[Innocent Ibis]

Ugh, what's the world comin' to? I mean, I get it, people have different views and opinions, but resorting to pepper spray? That's just ridiculous! Back in my day, we'd have a civilized conversation, even if we didn't agree. Now it seems like we're more likely to be arrested for defending ourselves . And what's with these social media platforms showcasing this kinda behavior? It's all about clicks and views, not about promoting peace and understanding . Frank Scales thinks he's some kinda hero by filming her, but I think the real hero is whoever made that cellphone video so we can see how crazy this situation was ! Anyway, I hope Paulina Reyes gets a fair shake in court and that these kinds of incidents become less common .

 

[Battlefiel]

I don't get why she had to resort to pepper spray ... I mean, can't you just walk away from someone who's bothering you? And what's with the filming her and then saying it made him better at fighting back ... seems like a pretty big thing to film someone getting sprayed, if you ask me. And I'm all for standing up for yourself, but using pepper spray is not exactly the most peaceful way to do it ...