What was meant to be a pleasant day at the park with her 9-month-old son turned into an experience that one mom described as "torture." The mother said that a stranger came up behind the group that they were with and allegedly poured hot coffee on her baby. She is now "having flashbacks" because of the horrible experience, she told 9News.
Police are now looking for the alleged attacker who threw the hot coffee at the baby, leading to burns on his face and chest. The incident occurred at Hanlon Park in Brisbane, Australia.
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The mom is 'traumatized.'
The mom and her baby were sitting in a park with their friend and her baby and enjoying a picnic, when a stranger came up behind them. The friend of the baby's mom, Zara Mazza, said the baby "just started screaming" when a stranger approached him and "poured a Thermos of hot coffee over him," per news.com.au.
The baby's mom is understandably "really traumatized" even though her baby is reportedly "in a stable condition," according to the friend.
“[The baby's mom's] got a lot of anxiety right now. She’s not been able to sleep very well, if at all. So definitely struggling," the friend told the outlet.
Bystanders, including a nurse, stepped in to help.
Luckily, first responders arrived quickly at the scene, and bystanders helped out before they arrived. Zara told news.com.au that bystanders with water bottles helped pour cold water over the baby. A nurse also heard screams and quickly got involved, taking the baby and mom up to her apartment to put the baby in the shower, the mom told 9News.
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The mom can't believe someone would do such a thing to an innocent baby.
The mom still can't fully believe what happened. "I don't know who would think that is OK to harm a little, innocent baby," she told 9News. She also feels bad about not being able to protect him from what happened.
"It's torture and I'm supposed to be his protector and I couldn't protect him," the mom told the outlet.
Police are looking for the attacker, who fled the scene.
The man who allegedly poured the hot coffee on the baby fled the scene. Police have released CCTV footage of a man running out of the park. They describe him as being 30 to 40 years old. Police called the attack "deliberate and unprovoked," per Australia's ABC News.
"Going to a park on a beautiful winter's day in Brisbane, enjoying your time with your baby, a friend and their baby, and to be approached like this and attacked in this way, it must be terrifying," Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said, per the outlet. He also called the incident "callous and cowardly."
The baby's injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
According to ABC News, the baby's injuries are not life-threatening. However, "he has a long recovery ahead of him," Zara wrote on a GoFundMe page she set up to cover medical or household costs for the baby's family.
Zara noted that he "is suspected to stay for a while, whilst he is treated for severe burns."
"This was a callous, random attack on my friends baby. He does not deserve this pain and suffering," she wrote on the page.
