Man Accused of Spitting at Retiree Released

SANTA ANA —  A San Clemente man, who may be infected with the AIDS virus, was released from jail Friday, a day after he was arrested for allegedly spitting in the face of a Mission Viejo retiree.

David Mazer, 44, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with attempted murder after he allegedly spit in the eye of 73-year-old Elizabeth Mimm during a rally in Costa Mesa for Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton.

Mazer allegedly confronted Mimm, a Bush supporter at the rally, told her he had AIDS and blamed the President for not doing enough to combat the disease, police said. He then allegedly spit into her eye, police said.

He was taken into custody after the incident and spent the night at the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana. His bail was originally set at $250,000.

Mazer was released on Friday. Police and Sheriff’s Department deputies at the jail did not know the amount of his bond or whether the charge against him had been changed.

Though traces of the AIDS virus have been found in saliva, the federal Centers for Disease Control maintains that the fluid cannot transmit the virus to another person. However, a police spokesman said Friday that the forced exchange of bodily fluids such as saliva or blood by a person with AIDS is usually reason enough to file attempted murder charges.