Moment Mercedes driver slaps young child with autism for bending hood ornament on his $146k sedan

By Alex Hammer and Adry Torres For Dailymail.com 00:48 04 Jul 2024, updated 12:24 04 Jul 2024

Footage shows the moment a Mercedes driver slapped a boy with autism for bending the car's hood ornament.

The unidentified motorist is seen smacking ten-year-old Alfredo Morales seconds after surveying the damage Monday, which would cost around $500 to fix.

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

The filmed attack took place at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Osbourne Street in Pacoima, according to KTLA. The man's license plate was shared by the person behind the camera afterwards.

In the footage, the boy's Spanish-speaking sister tells the sunglass-clad driver 'sorry, [my brother] is autistic' - after which he slaps the boy and walks off. A police report has been filed by the boy's family.

The network identified the boy as 10-year-old Morales, and confirmed from his family has autism.

'Sorry, he is autistic', the woman is heard saying in the original clip, captured  on a cellphone. 'He has special needs.'

The man, not swayed, proceeds to move towards the siblings, as the woman is seen trying to simultaneously calm the boy and plead his case.

Within seconds, the man is standing over the two, and quickly cocks his hand back to hit him. He strikes the boy's face with an open palm, before sternly pointing his finger at the now-cowering youngster

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

A voice is then heard shouting, in English, 'What the f**k's wrong with you?', after which the man doubles back - this time to survey the damage.

He grabs at the almost-dismembered ornament before again heading to the S-Class's driver's side door in apparent disgust, after which more onlookers shout for someone to intervene.

'No, stop him!' a female voice is heard shouting as he opens the door ready to drive off. He appears to chide another onlooker before taking his seat.

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

They also shared a still of the man's slightly bent Mercedes insignia, which appeared to be the only damage done to the costly car.

Meanwhile, footage of the incident makes rounds on social media, as the boy's father, Miguel Morales, revealed to KTLA the boy has autism, and regularly touches objects around him to explore his surroundings.

Public records indicated the car he touched was bought in Valencia in April of 2024, at the Mercedes-Benz of Valencia.

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

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

The middle-aged man seen in the footage has yet to be formally identified, and could be charged with battery of a minor, which, depending on the trauma administered, could be treated as a misdemeanor or a felony. 

If found guilty, he could face as much as six years in jail.