Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill has some strong words for the man who threw an 80-year-old woman from a motorized scooter after punching her daughter in a grocery store checkout line.
"I want to know who the hell thinks he can manhandle a grandmother in Clayton County without incurring the wrath of the sheriff's office," Hill said Saturday in a statement. "I will personally give $2,500 cash out of my own pocket to anyone who helps us identify and arrest this dummy."
Authorities are searching for the suspect following a recent incident at the Wholesale Food Outlet in Forest Park. The two women, 80-year-old Mary Gardner and her 60-year-old daughter, Kathy Malone, told Channel 2 Action News they were attacked while waiting to check out.
RELATED: 80-year-old woman, daughter attacked in grocery store checkout line
According to the women, the man became irate because he thought Gardner cut in front of him in line. He didn’t realize she was grocery shopping with her daughter, who was already waiting to check out.
Video surveillance footage from the grocery store appears to show the man punch Malone in the face before turning his attention to Gardner in her scooter. She was pulled to the floor by her hair, she told Channel 2.
“He slammed me so hard on the floor, and you know that floor is concrete,” Gardner said. “It just happened so fast.”
Gardner was scraped and bruised but was not seriously injured. In the video, a grocery store employee put himself between the women and the man, who later left the store.
“If I had my cane — I left it in the car — I’d have hit him in the back of the head,” Gardner said. “If he did us like that, he’ll do somebody else like that.”
Hill said he is devoting deputies to assist Forest Park police with their investigation. As of Saturday, the man had not been identified.
Forest Park Mayor Angelyne Butler also pledged to contribute to a reward for information leading to his capture, according to the sheriff. She is asking city council members to do the same.
The suspect is described by authorities as a man with darker skin tone who is at least 50 years old. He is at least 6 feet tall and weighs more than 225 pounds, according to the sheriff’s office.
At the time of the attack, the victims said the man was wearing rose-colored glasses and bright orange or red shoes. He was seen leaving the grocery store in a tan Toyota sedan, possibly a Corolla, with a license plate that begins with “RHP.”
Anyone with information is urged to come forward. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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