GoFundMe campaign launched for autistic boy caught on camera being slapped by Mercedes driver for damaging hood ornament on his $146,000 sedan

By Adry Torres and Stephen M. Lepore for Dailymail.Com

06:41 05 Jul 2024, updated 06:51 05 Jul 2024

More than $30,000 in donations have been raised on GoFundMe for a 10-year-old autistic boy who was slapped in the face by a Mercedes driver in California after the child damaged his car’s hood ornament.

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 Spanish-speaking sister of 10-year-old Alfredo Morales tells the sunglasses-wearing driver, “Sorry, (my brother) is autistic” — after which he slaps Alfredo and drives off. A complaint has been filed by the boy’s family.

The Morales family is homeless, leading a family friend to help Alfredo with a GoFundMe campaign.

“(Alfredo) suffers from severe autism and his family desperately needs help,” the organizers wrote.

“Any help would be greatly appreciated. They are currently homeless and any help will hopefully help them access housing.”

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The campaign was a huge success, raising over $30,000 for the homeless family, surpassing the initial goal of $10,000.

Morales’ family currently lives in a truck, KTLA reported. Alfredo and his siblings take the same route every day to pick up the family’s groceries.

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.

A man named Alex Manzo, a complete stranger, is credited with starting the Gofundme after seeing their plight on social media.

“I don’t know the family (personally),” Manzo said. “I just saw (their story) on Instagram and it made us angry.”

“They need a lot of resources to help them, so anything helps and we are here. We have all the love for the family. They have given us that trust and we will continue to return the favor.”

A local rapper named Swifty Blue not only offered to fix the family’s truck, but also connected them with a lawyer to help them find the man who slapped their son.

“I will do everything in my power to help them,” said Antonio Villegas, the family’s attorney. “And I’m not just talking about taking legal action, but providing them with the resources they need to turn this tragic situation into something that helps improve their lives.”

Local journalists were able to identify the attacker but did not give his name. He was reportedly out of town when contacted for comment.

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 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 his open palm, before pointing his finger sternly at the young man who cowers.

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.

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.