Charges filed against man seen slapping 10-year-old boy with autism at LA bus stop

Scott Sakajian was charged with willful cruelty to a child and battery on a person.

KABC logo
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Charges filed against man seen slapping 10-year-old boy with autism
Charges were filed Thursday against the man who was caught on video slapping a boy with autism in the face in Arleta.

ARLETA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Charges were filed Thursday against the man who was caught on video slapping a boy with autism in the face in Arleta.

Scott Sakajian was charged with willful cruelty to a child and battery on a person, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.

The video, which sparked outrage on social media, shows 10-year-old Alfredo Morales sitting on a bus bench with his older sister when Sakajian slaps him.

The boy reportedly damaged the Mercedes emblem on the front of his car. The boy's family lives in a broken SUV set up at a park in Arleta.

Sakajian's arraignment is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2, at the San Fernando Valley courthouse.