A 44-year-old woman has been arrested after she allegedly assaulted a 12-year-old girl who was waiting for a school bus and then stole the keys from the bus driver.

The incident occurred in Seattle, Washington on Tuesday.

Authorities say the child was waiting for her school bus when the woman began yelling at her before striking her with a plastic water bottle three times.

When the bus finally arrived, the woman then followed the child onto the bus where she was confronted by the bus driver.

The unnamed woman then spat on the bus driver, grabbed the bus keys, and then ran off.

Authorities were able to locate the woman a few blocks away from the incident.

She has since been taken into custody and booked on multiple counts of assault and vehicle theft.