Westminster police search for suspect accused of assaulting man with special needs at In-N-Out

WESTMINSTER, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities are searching for a man suspected of assaulting a man with special needs last month at a fast-food restaurant in Westminster. Afterward, the suspect was recorded on video arguing with the alleged victim.

Officers responded about 7 p.m. on Sept. 17 to a report of an assault at the In-N-Out Burger at 6292 Westminster Blvd., according to the Westminster Police Department.

The victim "was punched several times because he was not moving quickly enough after placing his order," police said in a statement. "Attacking vulnerable members of our community is not only cowardly, but it is despicable."

Cellphone footage, recorded after the attack, shows the suspect walking around the restaurant's property while waiting for his food. The alleged victim is heard asking the man why he called him names and hit him.

The man being sought is described as white, in his 40s, 6 feet tall and weighing 160 pounds. At the time of the incident, he had scruffy brown hair and was wearing a white T-shirt and dark khaki shorts.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police Detective N. Vasquez-Phan at (714) 548-3815.