A Georgia father was arrested after he was filmed allegedly hitting a sobbing toddler in a Kroger parking lot.
Footage posted online shows the suspect – identified as 44-year-old James Collins – repeatedly yelling at a three-year-old boy in his white GMC truck to “shut up” and “get in the damn car” while the toddler could be heard crying.
He then hits the boy at least three times, shouting, “I said shut up.”
Then the father starts to scold the child because he apparently wet his pants.
“Stop making a mess on yourself,” he shouts. “You should use the potty at school instead.”
44-year-old Georgia father James Collins was arrested after he was filmed allegedly hitting his sobbing three-year-old son
At that moment, a woman could be seen stopping and staring at the man.
“Do you have a problem?” he confronts her. “Mind your own damn business, woman.”
“I’m raising my damn child the way I want to,” Collins continues as the unidentified woman tries to say something.
While loading his groceries into the truck, he continues to yell at the woman as she walks by, telling her to “get the fuck out of my damn face.”
The man who originally uploaded the video, TikTok user _ainabainab, said the alleged attack took place at the Kroger in Lilburn, Georgia, on August 7 at around 4:14 p.m.
“I immediately called 911 and gave them his license plate number and the direction he was heading so they would be aware of the incident,” he wrote on Reddit.
“What makes me angry is that they don’t seem to have a sense of urgency,” he continued. “They’re just looking for the vehicle, not actively searching for it. They haven’t even asked me for a description of the man.”
“Let us all work together to put this man in prison where he belongs, for the sake of this little boy,” the videographer urged.
Finally, an unknown woman stops and stares at the man
She tries to confront him, but Collins tells her to “mind her own business” and “get the fuck out of my fucking face.”
Many on Reddit praised the woman who came forward and gave the uploader advice on how to find the father.
“This woman is real,” wrote one Redditor. “Anyone who puts themselves in danger to defend a child that isn’t even their own deserves every good thing life has to offer.”
Others also expressed concern for the child’s well-being.
“The poor kid is suffering permanent emotional damage,” commented another user, while a third said his “home life must be horrible.”
“These ‘parents’ are unaware of the long-term consequences of their actions,” the Reddit user wrote. “Honestly, you should have to pass a test to become a parent.”
A fourth Reddit user called it “one of life’s cruel jokes that there are people who really, REALLY want a child and can’t have one.”
“Now that damn bastard exists.”
Collins is now charged with first-degree cruelty to children and is being held in the Gwinnett County Jail on $4,600 bail.
According to WSB-TV, Lilburn Police Chief Chris Dusik stated that the incident did not occur within city limits and that is why officers did not respond or initiate an investigation.
However, Gwinnett County Police said they have received multiple messages and comments on the video, which has been shared thousands of times since it was uploaded to Reddit on Friday, and have therefore decided to launch an investigation.
The officers subsequently received surveillance footage from the supermarket and were able to confirm the incident.
The boy suffered minor injuries, police said. He is now being cared for by his family. The family and youth welfare office has also been notified, officials said.
Collins is now charged with first-degree child abuse and is being held in the Gwinnett County Jail on $4,600 bail.
Investigators have said they cannot release any further details about the video for fear it could jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
