A 23-year-old Bakersfield man faces criminal charges after a disturbing store surveillance video captured him striking a young child. Justin Whittington was charged with misdemeanor child abuse following the April 2015 incident at Vest Market in Bakersfield, California .
The surveillance footage, which later circulated widely online, shows Whittington chasing a 3-year-old boy—identified as his son—through the store before hitting him in the face, causing the child to fall to the ground . The video also shows Whittington yanking the crying toddler up by his shirt before a pregnant woman, believed to be the child’s mother, leads the boy out of the store . Store owner Harry Dindral described the incident as “the worst thing I’ve ever seen” .
Whittington was initially arrested on a felony child cruelty charge with bail set at $1 million . However, after further review, prosecutors downgraded the charge to misdemeanor child abuse and bail was reduced to $20,000. The District Attorney’s office cited the lack of visible injury to the child and consideration of Whittington’s record as factors in the decision . The child was examined by medical personnel and did not require hospitalization .
Whittington took to social media following his release, calling the incident “a misunderstanding” and asking for a “second chance” while requesting that his family be left out of public scrutiny . A relative expressed shock at the video, stating she saw no signs of such behavior when Whittington lived with her family, but added that the child “is not in a safe environment” .
The case drew widespread public outrage, with experts emphasizing that striking a child in anger is never justified and can cause lasting psychological harm regardless of physical injury
