Mercedes Owner Slaps Autistic Boy After He Allegedly Bent Hood Ornament On His $146,000 Luxury Car

A man has faced backlash after a video emerged of him punching an autistic child after he hit his car.

Cellphone video shows a brief altercation that occurred in Pacoima, California, on Monday.

The victim was identified as Alfredo Morales, a 10-year-old autistic boy who was crossing the road with his older sister at the corner of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Osbourne Street when the boy reached out and touched the emblem on the man’s Mercedes-Benz sedan.

The man then turned around and approached the two men, who were waiting at a bus stop.

In the video, the man is seen getting out of his car and confronting the couple before slapping the child in the face and pointing at them.

It’s unclear whether the child damaged the emblem, but the man is seen bending the hood ornament slightly before getting back into his car.

During the altercation, the sister is heard pleading in Spanish, trying to explain that her younger brother is autistic and has special needs.

Alfredo’s family members spoke to local media and expressed their outrage at the whole situation.

Miguel Morales said Alfredo was autistic and often touched objects around him to explore his environment. He also said he intended to file a police report about the incident and provide the video footage.

The person who recorded the incident also spoke to KTLA, but did not wish to be fully identified and only gave her name, Ashley.

Speaking about the incident, she said: “I was traumatised, I was shaking. I said, ‘Hey mister, stop! You can’t do this.'”

Since the incident went viral on social media, some people have shown up at the suspect’s house to confront him.

A concerned resident spoke to KTLA and said, “We are here to support and let the community know that this should not be happening, especially with the autistic boy.”

A call was placed to the Los Angeles Police Department at the time of the incident, but by the time officers arrived at the bus, everyone had left, according to reports.

The suspects’ car is believed to be a 2023 S-Class sedan and is estimated to cost around $146,000.

In addition to dealing with this incident, the Morales family is currently homeless and community members have since created a GoFundMe page for the family to find them suitable housing.