Stranger Accused of Slapping Crying Child at Store

Stranger Accused of Slapping Crying Child at Store

This undated booking photo provided Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 by the Gwinnett County

Police: Stranger warns mom about crying child, then slaps 2-year-old at Atlanta-area Walmart


The Associated Press


STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga.

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.
A police report says after the stranger hit the girl at least four times, he said: "See, I told you I would shut her up."

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.
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."

Authorities say Stephens then grabbed the 2-year-old and slapped her. The child began screaming and Stephens was arrested. 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."



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http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=8474193

Sugar called and told me this yesterday...all I could do was laugh in disbelief. l also told her this could not have been a black mother...because they would have been arresting the mother too.

That dude would have been dead had a Black father been around. I know for CERTAINTY that if it were my kid, ya'll would talking RIGHT NOW,

"Oh dey say Michael in jaye oh! Dey say he kaye wan weh mehn."

he lucky!
then again, in Liberia, people sometimes free at Liberty to "help train your child"...