Agitated Stranger Slaps Crying Tot At Store

[meloneyb21]

http://cbs3.com/topstories/man.slaps.toddler.2.1161524.html

Roger Stephens, 61, is accused of grabbing and slapping another woman's 2-year-old at a Wal-Mart in Georgia.

Authorities in Stone Mountain, Georgia, say a 61-year-old man threatened to "shut up" a woman's child at a Wal-Mart and apparently followed through by slapping the 2-year-old girl at least four times.

Police say a 61-year-old man annoyed with a crying 2-year-old girl at a suburban Atlanta Walmart slapped the child several times after warning the toddler's mother to keep her quiet.

Roger Stephens of Stone Mountain is charged with felony cruelty to children. It was unclear if he had an attorney and a telephone call to his home Wednesday was unanswered.

Stephens appeared in court Wednesday and he didn't say much when answering cruelty charges by a Gwinnett County prosecutor. He will remain behind bars, without bond, until a court appearance is set.

Authorities say the girl and her mother were shopping Monday when the toddler began crying. The police report says Stephens approached the mother and said, "If you don't shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you."

The stunned mother says she ignored the threat but tried to calm her child, reports CBS affiliate WGCL-TV in Atlanta. Apparently, that wasn't good enough for Stephens. Authorities say Stephens then grabbed the 2-year-old and slapped her. The child began screaming and Stephens was arrested.

Some concerned bystanders cornered Stephens in the store and detained him until Wal-Mart security was alerted.

Police say an examination showed the girl's face was slightly red.

A call to the girl's mother, identified in the police report as Sonya Mathews of Grayson, was answered by a woman who identified herself as Sabrina Mathis, the victim's aunt.

Mathis said Wednesday that the girl is doing fine.

"As of today, she has really forgotten about it," Mathis said. "She's been playing."

Mathis said the girl's mother was shaken up over the incident.

"She's as well as to be expected," Mathis said. "Right now she's just trying to calm down."

 

[amsyw]

I heard about this last night and all I can say is OMG !!!

There would have been 2 arrested if it had been me. I don't know what I would have done but it wouldn't have been pretty!!!

I get mad when a stranger even repremands my child. I have a respectful, well behaved 13 year old, I don't need help with my 4 year old..... I've got it covered! If they break something I will pay for it. If they fall I won't sue, etc.

Kids have melt downs occasionally. I don't like it, mine or yours. Of course when it happens to me I try to get out of the situation ie. go to a restroom or go outside. I wish others did the same thing. But that is their right to let it all happen out in public.... so be it. Don't tell me to shut up my kid or touch them!!!

Just my 2c!

 

[EMom]

Gee, a crying kid in Walmart....How unbelievable is that? No wonder the guy blew his stack. I mean, going to Walmart is the equivalent of dining at V&A.....You expect refinement and silence.

If this is how the man acts in PUBLIC with a STRANGER'S child, then I'd hate to see how he acts in private, when he can't be seen. He's lucky he didn't pull this in a Texas Walmart, where some of the mothers have their concealed weapons in their purses, or he'd be in a hospital instead of a jail. And the mom would never be indicted.

Seriously, if a mob had attacked him on the spot, he'd have deserved it. If he would have hit my child, he'd have been wearing a shopping cart in no time flat. I'm not violent, but hurt my child and all bets are off. I hope they give him the max.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Kids have melt downs occasionally. I don't like it, mine or yours. Of course when it happens to me I try to get out of the situation ie. go to a restroom or go outside. I wish others did the same thing. But that is their right to let it all happen out in public.... so be it. Don't tell me to shut up my kid or touch them!!!

Just my 2c!

I don't do that because then the child quickly learns if they don't want to be at the store (which most of the time they don't) they can just throw a fit and then mommy has to stop what she is doing and leave. Nope not having it. They have to learn to behave in the store.

Sometimes they whine and I ignore it but oh well and if a stranger hit my kid I would be in jail because I would have reacted first and thought later. I'm glad the mom kept her cool and got security. I would have decked the guy.

 

[*BTMRR*]

Gee, a crying kid in Walmart....How unbelievable is that? No wonder the guy blew his stack. I mean, going to Walmart is the equivalent of dining at V&A.....You expect refinement and silence.

If this is how the man acts in PUBLIC with a STRANGER'S child, then I'd hate to see how he acts in private, when he can't be seen. He's lucky he didn't pull this in a Texas Walmart, where some of the mothers have their concealed weapons in their purses, or he'd be in a hospital instead of a jail. And the mom would never be indicted.

Seriously, if a mob had attacked him on the spot, he'd have deserved it. If he would have hit my child, he'd have been wearing a shopping cart in no time flat. I'm not violent, but hurt my child and all bets are off. I hope they give him the max.

 

[NY Disney fan]

Some concerned bystanders cornered Stephens in the store and detained him until Wal-Mart security was alerted.

Hooray for the bystanders!! Once I was in a Target and I wanted to slap a mom for verbally abusing her child. But I just left.

 

[npmommie]

The minute he said this

"If you don't shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you."

I would have called police, that is a threat of violence. he could go to jail just for that.
I can tell you there would have been a big incident in walmart at the point he uttered those words above.

 

[Micca]

Did you see the video of the guy? He *looks* agitated like he's ready to blow up. He's in a heap of trouble.

 

[lovebuzz]

When my daughter was 2, we were in a dressing room and she was singing. A woman next to me told me to keep her quiet. I told her if she wanted absolute quiet while she shopped then she should stay at home and shop online.

 

[npmommie]

When my daughter was 2, we were in a dressing room and she was singing. A woman next to me told me to keep her quiet. I told her if she wanted absolute quiet while she shopped then she should stay at home and shop online.

good for you! LOL

over the summer we were in Target, I was looking for my size in a stack of t shirts, hubby was there and the kids were giggling and just going around in circles, not causing havoc, just being kids waiting for mom,
well this woman walking by yells over " control your kids"

now they weren't running up the aisle, or anything, just going in a circle around the bin I was looking in. and there was no one else in the area i was looking in.
so my hubby yells back at her
" calm down lady, weren't you ever a kid?? relax!"

well she shut up and looked away, and kept walking fast. guess she didn't expect that response.

 

[dismom2]

I see a lot of screaming, crying kids out shopping with their mothers and the mothers completely ignore them. It's very annoying, and I wish they would at least make an attempt to calm the child down. However, nobody has the right to touch another child. I'm glad the man was arrested. I agree, if he can do this in public, what is he capable of elsewhere? Dangerous man. I would be extremely upset if someone touched my child, and would have him arrested, too!

 

[FireDancer]

Of course a crying kid can get annoying, but kids cry, get over it. A car alarm going off is also annoying but I wouldn't open the hood and rip it out. This guy must just not have the little switch between thought and action. I've often felt the urge to slap someone but didn't. It is kind of like those dentists that grope their patients while they are under. Just because it is tempting doesn't mean you don't actually freaking do it.

I agree with those that said the mom had restraint. I am pretty sure I would have know what it felt like to knock out an old guy had that been me.

 

[npmommie]

my dh and I were talking about this, and its scary how many people are so intolerant of children. really its almost scary.

people think its acceptable to reprimand other peoples kids, to expect kids to be silent when in a store, etc.

i can tell you stories of getting hateful looks when my kids are laughing and chit chattering while we shop, a woman once almost ran her cart into my child in Trader Joes and i could tell it was on purpose, and I called her on it. it was extremely rude.
I have no problems reprimanding my kids if they are misbehaving, but I also realize they are kids, and yes they giggle, they sing, they may even dance in the store aisle, but as long as they are not causing a problem in the store, or getting in anyones way, I let them sing, chit chat and dance. LOL

 

[Darsa]

Yeeaaaahhh... I'd be in jail.

I can't help but wonder if the mom was doing the ignore thing and that baby had been crying for a good long while. I know that some of the kids I hear in the stores set my teeth on edge and make me wanna shake the parents but hitting a child? MY child???

Yeah, I'd have a court date.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Whoa, that guy looks like the most miserable SOB on the planet.

Maybe mom was trying to calm the child, maybe she was just letting him scream. Either way, there's no excuse for EVER touching a child, let alone in anger like this idiot did!

 

[downsouth]

I would have restrained him until police arrived, I'd have stood over him laying in a heap on the floor. Geez!

 

[Shutterbug]

Maybe he was just literally doing what Hillary Clinton meant when she said,

"It takes a village to raise a child" ?

Then again maybe he was just an idiot...

I try to be in that mind set in Walmart that customers are a lil..."lax"

One of my Walmart stories..
Although one time I was in walmart one time as these kids were riding bikes up and down the aisles. One almost knocked over a little toddler standing in the aisle. Thank goodness the toddlers mother was able to pull him aside and out of the way. I couldnt help myself yelled at the kids to be careful they almost hit someone. Next thing I know I hear..."Oh I know you just did not yell at MY child!" I turned and this woman was yelling at me. I told her her children almost hit a lil toddler who was now crying from being scared by the whole thing.
Her response "no one yells at my child for no reason" I shrugged and said fine, let me go get security and the store manager. I am sure they have it all on video. At that point she just gave me a dirty look, scream profanities at her children that they needed to leave. I she left the dept area. Didnt see her in the store later so I am guessing she left there as well.

What this guy did was crazy. He should have just left the store.

 

[sorul82?]

If this guy had touched my children, he would have needed to have his testicles removed from his throat.

 

[NHdisneylover]

The man sounds dangerous and was clearly totally out of line. I am not surprised at all that the mother did not hurt the man. I am not sure how many posters are just saying they would or really mean it. I know when my DS was 4 an adult pushed him hard, knocking him to the ground away from the skeeball lane at Chuck E Cheese as he was playing (seems she did not realize his mom was nearby to say anything). My first instinct was not to hurt the idiot, it was to check on my son and comfort him. By the time I was done with that I was calm enough to know the better course of action was to get the manager. I imagine this mom was the same--her gut reaction was to comfort and chcek on her child--not to attack the man.

 

[luvwinnie]

I am dying to know the mom's reaction...I don't get how he hit the child several times. I would have hit with something or tackled him as soon as he grabbed the child. Used my nails...ANYTHING and FAST! What a wacko.