Lana Clay-Monaghan used to enjoy checking TikTok and other social media platforms.
But after she became the target of an online prank that left her hospitalized, the 35-year-old Tustin resident isn’t so sure what her online presence will be moving forward.
On Sunday afternoon, Clay-Monaghan set out looking forward to a Target run, but the shopping trip took a sudden turn when her vision went black while she surveyed an aisle for soap.
In an apparent nod to the online “bucket challenge” where people film themselves shocking unwitting strangers, someone had put a bucket over Clay-Monaghan’s head. It caused dangerous disorientation for Clay-Monaghan, who said she has epilepsy that can be triggered by shocking stimuli.
“The last thing that I remember was saying ‘Help me, I have epilepsy.’ They were laughing at me and filming me,” Clay-Monaghan said. “Then I hit the ground and I woke up after that at UCI Medical Center.”
At the hospital, Clay-Monaghan said doctors informed her she was an assault victim and had experienced a “heart issue” from the incident; she may have also suffered a seizure, she added. Clay-Monaghan also said she suffered emotional harm from the prank.
“I’m really heartbroken that (they) thought they were being funny,” Clay-Monaghan said. “There was a clear point when they knew it wasn’t funny. And I would’ve expected a little humanity … you don’t leave me on the ground — you go and get help.”
In a news release, Tustin Police described what happened to Clay-Monaghan as an assault. The release described those involved in the incident at the Target in The District as “four male juveniles.”
“It is likely the juveniles were attempting to replicate the current social media trend where they place a bucket on a stranger’s head and film their reaction,” the release said.
It wasn’t immediately known if video exists or was posted of the Tustin Target incident.
While police investigate, Clay-Monaghan…
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