anna, that's what makes me wonder how much parenting the mom was doing while the child was crying. It didn't say, "He pushed the mom out of the way and began to slap the child in the face." Granted, she may have just turned her back for a second to grab a can of green beans, but it does sound like she was a far enough distance from the child that no altercation between her and the man took place while he got to the child.

I have to wonder if he isn't mentally ill or something. That's just really bizarre behavior.