According to reports, an American mother of twins was stabbed to death Monday after getting into an argument with another woman in an Abu Dhabi shopping mall bathroom.

Local police say witnesses saw the woman and her killer arguing in a public restroom at the Boutik Mall on Reem Island—a popular expat destination a few miles off the coast of Abu Dhabi island. The 37-year-old victim, identified only as ARB, was reportedly a divorced school teacher.

One restaurant employee told the UAE website the National that she overheard the fight:

I heard one of them threatening the other saying 'Sit down or I'll kill you'." The restaurant employee said she then heard banging sounds from the stall. "I heard one of them try to call out for help. By this time there were three of us outside the toilet and one of us ran to get security. When the female security guard arrived they told us to leave the bathroom. I was so scared and frightened for her," she said.

Although police later recovered the murder weapon, which they described only as a "sharp object," identifying the assailant may be difficult—she was reportedly wearing a full abaya, niqab and gloves.

In the UAE, convicted murderers are usually punished with death—generally by firing squad—although family members of the deceased are sometimes permitted to pardon the offenders.