Philip Ostermann and Melissa Rein Lively were wanted by the British Transport Police after the incident last week – but in a new update, officers said they have left the country
Police believe a couple wanted in connection with an alleged racial assault in London, have fled the UK. It comes after the British Transport Police (BTP) appealed for witnesses last week.
Donald Trump megafan Melissa Rein Lively, 40, and her fiancé Philip Ostermann, are thought to have left the country before the police appeal was issued. According to authorities, Mr Ostermann departed the UK on October 14, while Ms Rein Lively, who once vied to be Donald Trump’s press secretary, left 10 days later.
The BTP confirmed that the pair’s departure will not hinder their investigation, stating that they will “continue to make efforts to make contact and speak to them” before determining the next course of action. The police appeal was launched after a family reported being racially abused and assaulted in the capital on October 11.
The incident occurred at Bond Street tube station in central London at 7:30 pm, caused by a dispute over a pushchair allegedly bumping into the woman in a photo released by a senior police officer on social media, according to the Mirror. In a new update, BTP spokesperson said: “Officers completed a number of enquiries in an attempt to identify the man and woman after the incident was reported to police, followed by a media appeal that generated a significant response.”
Investigating officers added: “From enquiries so far, we believe that the man and woman do not reside in the UK. Officers believe the man left the UK on Tuesday October 14 and the woman on Friday October 24, before our media appeal was published.”.
Police confirmed the investigation is ongoing, as detectives carry on with their efforts to contact and speak to the suspects. “We continue efforts to make contact with and speak to them, and from there we will determine the next steps in the investigation,” the force said.
“We are in contact with the victim and her family and are keeping them updated regularly as the investigation continues.” Initially, British Transport Police reported that a woman had been assaulted after accidentally bumping into a couple, thought this was later clarified as an altercation that began when the victim was with her sister and two young children, including one in a pushchair.
Allegedly, a man racially abused the woman and her family before the woman grabbed her by the hair. The victim attempted to defend herself using a substance from a small bottle, claimed to be pepper spray.
A woman is also accused of making lewd gestures and using racist language before the pair fled the area. It was later revealed that the woman in the picture released by the BTP was Mrs Lively, who had previously applied for the role of White House press secretary under Trump.
In an interview with Politico, MAGA influencer Lively had boasted: “I’m a hair away from the White House; I do think I’m going to get it. My sphere of influence goes far beyond people who are paper pushers on the Trump campaign.
“I work with billionaires,” she exclaimed. “My clients are – I can’t even name who I work with; they own half of Palm Beach.”
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