Mercedes S-Class Driver Slaps Autistic Boy For Bending Hood Ornament On His $146,000 Sedan

Footage shows the moment a Mercedes driver slapped an autistic boy for bending the car’s bonnet ornament.

The unidentified motorist is seen hitting 10-year-old Alfredo Morales seconds after seeing the damage Monday, which is estimated to cost about $500 to repair.

The car itself costs just over $146,000 and was purchased just over a year ago from a Southern California dealership, a vehicle history report shows.

The captured assault took place at the corner of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Osbourne Street in Pacoima, according to KTLA. The man’s license plate was later released by the person behind the camera.

In the video, the boy’s Spanish-speaking sister tells the driver wearing sunglasses “sorry, (my brother) is autistic” – after which he slaps the boy and drives away. A complaint has been filed by the boy’s family.

Footage shows moment Mercedes driver slapped child for bending car’s bonnet ornament

The unidentified driver was seen hitting the boy seconds after seeing the damage, which is estimated to cost about $500 to repair. The incident happened Monday in Pacoima, 20 miles (32 km) from Los Angeles.

The network identified the boy as Morales, 10, and confirmed through his family that he has autism.

“Sorry, he’s autistic,” the woman says in the original video, filmed on a cellphone. “He has special needs.”

The man, unfazed, walks towards the siblings, while the woman is seen simultaneously trying to calm the boy down and plead his case.

Within seconds, the man stands over the two boys and quickly raises his hand to strike them. He strikes the boy’s face with an open palm, before pointing his finger sternly at the young man who cowers.

An image of the Mercedes hood ornament allegedly damaged by the autistic boy before he was struck by the driver

He then walks away and returns to his car, his chest puffed out and his hands at his sides.

A voice is then heard shouting in English: “What’s wrong with you?”, after which the man turns back, this time to assess the damage.

He grabs the nearly dismembered ornament before heading back toward the driver’s side door of the S-Class in apparent disgust, after which other onlookers shout for someone to intervene.

“No, stop it!” a female voice shouts as he opens the door, ready to drive off. He appears to berate another spectator before taking his seat.

The man then starts the car and speeds away, but not before the person recording captures his license plate.

The filmed attack appears to have taken place in Southern California, as suggested by the cedar trees, palm trees and road signs visible in the background — as does the perpetrator’s license plate, which was later shared by the person behind the camera.

In the video, the boy’s Spanish-speaking sister tells the driver, “Sorry, (my son) is autistic – he has special needs.”

The man then slapped the boy and walked away. The incident took place on Monday, according to witnesses.

The car itself costs just over $146,000 and was purchased just over a year ago from a Southern California dealership, according to a vehicle history report.

The man leaves, but not before the person filming the encounter can examine his license plate. He has not yet been identified.

They also shared an image of the man’s slightly bent Mercedes badge, which appeared to be the only damage done to the expensive car.

Meanwhile, footage of the incident is circulating on social media, as the boy’s father, Miguel Morales, revealed to KTLA that the boy has autism and regularly touches objects around him to explore his environment.

Public records indicate that the car he hit was purchased in Valencia in April 2024, at Mercedes-Benz Valencia.

The sedan is a 2023, was purchased for a price of $146,350.

DailyMail.com has contacted the California Highway Patrol to see if the plate is linked to any active criminal cases and has filed a public records request for more information.

The middle-aged man seen in the footage has not yet been formally identified and could be charged with assault and battery on a minor, which, depending on the trauma administered, could be treated as a misdemeanor or felony.

If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison.