Owner of Downtown Portland Food Cart Arrested For Assaulting Customer with Gatorade Bottle and Sriracha

A video shows Islam El Masry, owner of the Small Pharoah's halal cart, arguing with the woman, who claims that Elmasry called her a racial epithet after she attempted to pay with quarters.

Portland food carts. (Christine Dong)

The owner of a downtown food cart was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges this afternoon after hurling a Gatorade bottle at a black customer and then allegedly spraying her with Sriracha.

A video taken by the alleged victim, Carlotta Washington, was provided to Willamette Week by an eyewitness. It shows Islam El Masry, owner of the Small Pharoah's halal cart, arguing with Washington, who claims that El Masry called her the n-word after she attempted to pay for her lunch with quarters.

The video shows El Masry telling her to "get the fuck away" from the cart, then throws a Gatorade bottle at her, causing her to drop her phone.

Video courtesy of Rachel Good.

Washington says that El Masry then sprayed her with Sriracha chili sauce, though that is not on the video.

"It was in my eyes and all on my skin. It was burning terribly," Washington says.

Witnesses can be heard screaming "That's wrong" while Washington asks for the police to be called before the video shuts off.

According to witness Rachel Good, who provided WW with the victim's video, she approached the cart right after the initial assault and found the victim's shirt, face, and shoulders covered with Sriracha.

El Masry was booked into Multnomah County jail at 4:29 pm for misdemeanor harassment and assault. Bail is set at $4,000.

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