An autistic 10 year-old boy slapped by a Mercedes driver for deliberately damaging the luxury sedan has been inundated with GoFundMe cash.
More than $30,000 in donations were raised for Alfredo Morales after he was filmed being slapped by a grown man for damaging the hood ornament on the $146,000 S-Class sedan.
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, 10-year-old Alfredo’s Spanish-speaking sister tells the sunglass-clad driver ‘sorry, [my brother] is autistic’ – after which he slaps Alfredo and walks off. A police report has been filed by the boy’s family.
The Morales family is homeless, which has led a family friend to help out Alfredo with a GoFundMe campaign.
‘[Alfredo] has severe Autism and his family is in desperate need of help,’ wrote organizers.
A GoFundMe was launched for an autistic California boy – 10-year-old Alfredo Morales (pictured lower center) who was slapped in the face by a Mercedes driver after the child had damaged the hood ornament on the car
‘Any help would be greatly appreciated by them. They are currently homeless and any help will hopefully help them get into some housing.’
The campaign has been a massive success, raising over $30,000 for the homeless family, blowing away the original goal of $10,000.
Morales’ family is currently living out of a truck, KTLA reported. Alfredo and his siblings take the same route every day to get the family’s groceries.
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.
A man named Alex Manzo, a complete stranger, is credited with launching 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 got us mad.’
‘They need a lot of resources that can help out so everything is helpful and we’re here. We have all the love for the family. They gave us that trust and we’re going to continue to give it all back.’
Footage shows the moment a Mercedes driver slapped a child for bending the car’s hood ornament
The unidentified motorist is seen smacking the boy seconds after surveying the damage, which would cost around $500 to fix. The encounter took place Monday in Pacoima, 20 miles outside LA
A local rapper named Swifty Blue not only offered to fix the family’s truck but got them in touch with a lawyer to help find the man who slapped their son.
‘I will do anything in my power to help them,’ said Antonio Villegas, the family’s attorney. ‘And I don’t mean just by filing some sort of lawsuit, but by getting them resources to turn this tragic situation into something that helps improve their lives.’
Local reporters have been able to identify the attacker but have not named him. He was said to be out of town when reached for comment.
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 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.
The filmed attack appeared to take place in Southern California, cedars, palm trees, and street signs seen in the background suggest – as does the perp’s license plate, which was shared by the person behind the camera afterwards
![In the footage, the boy's Spanish-speaking sister tells the driver 'sorry, [my son] is autistic - he has special needs'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/05/06/86900389-13602839-In_the_footage_the_boy_s_Spanish_speaking_sister_tells_the_drive-a-19_1720157983920.jpg)
In the footage, the boy’s Spanish-speaking sister tells the driver ‘sorry, [my son] is autistic – he has special needs’
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.
The man proceeds to slap the boy and walk off. The incident took place on Monday, witnesses said
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 man goes on to drive off, but not before the person recording the encounter got a good look at his license plate. He has yet to be identified
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.