A tourist visiting Walt Disney World has been charged with child abuse after allegedly assaulting a teenager during a confrontation over parade viewing spots at the Magic Kingdom.
Martha Lucia Zapata-Echeverri, 51, was arrested following the incident, which unfolded around 9:40PM on Monday near Cinderella’s Castle on Main Street USA, according to an affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Altercation sparked over parade space
According to the teen’s statement to deputies, she had been standing on the sidewalk in anticipation of the nightly parade when Zapata-Echeverri, who is originally from Colombia but now lives in Spain, approached and placed a hand on her “trying to make space.”
The teen said she asked Zapata-Echeverri in Spanish not to touch her — but instead, the woman allegedly grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, leaving a visible bruise and nail marks, per the New York Post.
Authorities confirmed the teen had sustained a bruise and abrasion on her right arm.
Zapata-Echeverri, who was accompanied by her own daughter at the time, denied intentionally hurting the teen and claimed the teenager had initiated the scuffle by pushing her and insisting the area was "her spot".
In her version of events, Zapata-Echeverri told deputies she was merely trying to follow her daughter through the crowd and had only “pushed” the teen back with her arm. When asked to account for the nail marks, she offered no clear explanation and pantomimed the gesture of pushing with an open hand.
No video or witnesses confirm account
Authorities noted that the area was densely crowded at the time of the incident, and no independent witnesses or surveillance footage have been found to corroborate either account.
Deputies ultimately concluded in the arrest report that Zapata-Echeverri had “knowingly and willfully” touched the girl in a manner likely to cause injury, The Independent reports.
The tourist was uninjured in the confrontation. She was arrested and later appeared in court, where her attorney revealed she had entered the US on a tourist visa on July 2 and was scheduled to return to Spain on Wednesday.
Zapata-Echeverri’s bond was initially set at $2,500 and she has since been banned from all Disney properties, according to WESH. She currently faces a child abuse charge, though no further legal proceedings have been announced publicly.