Elderly woman says she was slapped over Facebook request

SEMINOLE, FL (KTRK) -- A denied Facebook request led to an assault on elderly woman, Florida authorities say.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says Rachel Anne Hayes, 27, slapped a 72-year-old woman when she refused her Facebook request Wednesday night.

Deputies say the incident happened at a home in Seminole. They say the alleged victim refused the request because she felt the name Hayes was using on Facebook was "inappropriate." Authorities say the woman told Hayes she would be willing to accept the request if she changed the name.

Deputies say Hayes became upset when the woman refused the request and walked out of the house. When the 72-year-old returned to the home's front door, the situation escalated, and that's when deputies say Hayes slapped the woman "several times" before the victim was able to retreat into the house and lock the door.

When authorities arrived, deputies say the suspect had left the house.

Hayes was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday afternoon on suspicion of felony aggravated battery on an elderly person. She has been released on $10,000 bond.

She has not yet entered a plea and it was unclear whether Hayes had hired an attorney.

Hayes, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, has prior arrests for traffic violations and disorderly conduct for urinating in public.

ABC News reports the Facebook name that allegedly set the argument in action was not released by authorities. However, Facebook has a well-known policy of requiring users to use the name they identify with in real life.

"Asking everyone to use their real name grounds the community in reality and ties it back to all the real-world relationships that we have," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a town hall earlier this month.