Reward offered in attack of 80-year-old woman, her daughter at grocery store

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday a reward for information leading to the arrest of a man caught on video as he attacked an elderly woman and her daughter at a grocery store.

Authorities are searching for a man who threw an 80-year-old woman from her motorized shopping cart after punching her daughter in the face.

The attack happened in the checkout line of the Wholesale Food Outlet on Jonesboro Road in Forest Park.

According to the women, the man became furious because he thought 80-year-old Mary 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.

“He slammed me so hard on the floor, and you know that floor is concrete,” Gardner told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes. “It just happened so fast.”

Surveillance video shows the man punch 60-year-old Kathy Malone in the face before pulling her mother from the scooter by her hair and tossing her to the ground.

Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill said he reached out to Forest Park Police Chief Nathaniel Clark when he saw the story on Channel 2.

Both agencies have teamed up to search for the suspect “who both law-enforcement leaders consider a threat to public safety,” Hill said in a statement.

Hill said he is offering a $2,500 reward to anyone who helps them find the man responsible for the attack.

“Forest Park Mayor Angela Butler stated that she will also add money to the Sheriff’s pot and ask her city council members to pitch in on the cash reward as well,” Hill said.

The suspect is described as a black male, at least 50 years old, and more than 6 feet tall and around 225 pounds, Hill said.

He was wearing what were described as rose-colored glasses during the attack and bright orange and red shoes.

The suspect was seen leaving in what was described as a possible light tan colored 4-door Toyota, possibly a Corolla. The first three letters on the tag of the vehicle are believed to be RHP.

Anyone with information should call Forest Park Police or the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office at 770-477-4479.

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