I just read this story and it sent chills down my spine. What parent doesn’t worry about their child screaming in public? In Gwinnett County, outside of Atlanta, Roger Stephens, 61, smacked a stranger’s 2-year-old child across the face for crying.
Sonya Mathews, the mother of the baby, told police that they were walking down the aisle of a Stone Mountain Wal-Mart store when Stephens came up and said “if you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you.”
A few minutes later, in another aisle, Stephens grabbed the child and slapped her across the face four or five times, according to the police report. Stephens then told Mathews, “See, I told you I would shut her up,” according to the report.
Thankfully, a bystander held Stephens until store security was summoned. When police arrived, Stephens reportedly admitted slapping the child, but said that he had apologized to Mathews.
Stephens – who looks pretty scary based on his photo above – was charged with felony cruelty to children and is being held without bond. It definitely makes you think twice about who might be around the next time your child starts crying in public.
photo credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
If I was that mother I would have punched that guy out as soon as he got near my baby, or at least I would have called security as soon as he made any kind of threat. That a**hole needs to be locked up.
Unbelievable. The guy sounds mentally unstable. Who else is out there that’s goin to do this??