SAN ANTONIO – A viral TikTok video with more than 6 million views is raising alarm about safety along San Antonio’s River Walk after it captured a woman arguing with passengers on a Saturday river barge — moments before police say she pepper-sprayed at least eight people, including a toddler.
A second video with over 1 million views shows passengers wiping their eyes as a baby cries in distress.
San Antonio police say the woman ran away before officers arrived near the 500 block of the River Walk.
Witnesses on the barge told police the confrontation began when the boat operator and several riders asked the woman to turn down the volume on her phone.
According to the report, the woman was let off the boat but continued yelling threats at passengers before pepper-spraying the crowd.
No arrests have been made.
“How are you going to pepper-spray a baby?” resident Willie Aguilar said, reacting to the video.
Tourists visiting San Antonio said the video doesn’t reflect the experience they expected.
“I mean, it’s absolutely wild — pepper-spraying a bunch of people for no reason,” said Andy Moran, visiting from Missouri.
Charlie Costello is the general manager of Lone Star Cafe. He said the incident highlights a broader trend.
Costello said fights and late-night disturbances have led his restaurant to adjust its hours.
“Especially nighttime — we tend to close earlier now when there’s a bigger event, just to avoid some of the fights,” he said.
He believes more police patrols could help restore a sense of safety — a suggestion Aguilar agrees with, though he worries it may not stop everything.
“A little more security… but even then, people find ways to do crazy stuff,” Aguilar said.
Police have not identified the woman seen in the viral TikTok videos and are aware of the video.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the police.
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