What to Know
A Pennsylvania man accused of abusing a 5-year-old child in a Walmart parking lot claims the allegations against him are totally false. Police responded to a disturbance call at a Walmart located at 890 E. Main Street in Ephrata around 7 p.m. on August 11, 2026. Witnesses claimed Wagner took the sleeping child from a cart and slammed him to the ground before fleeing the scene.
Police later caught up with Wagner at his residence and took him into custody. He faces charges of aggravated and simple assault, child endangerment, and disorderly conduct. Wagner wants the charges dropped.
Wagner reportedly shopped with others the night of the alleged incident.
A Lancaster man is facing charges after he reportedly threw a child in the parking lot of a Walmart in Ephrata. https://t.co/GmE8OFuloL
— CBS 21 News (@CBS21NEWS) August 12, 2026
According to court documents obtained by Lancaster Online, witnesses told Ephrata Police they saw Wagner shopping at Walmart with another adult and three kids. He reportedly became irate when his payment didn’t go through. Police noted shoppers said Wagner yelled obscenities that bothered those around him before leaving the store enraged.
Court documents shared more damning allegations.
Per a probable cause statement, Wagner allegedly yelled obscenities at the child to wake him up and “lifted them above his head and threw them to the ground,” per a witness. During a 911 call, a witness claimed they saw Wagner pick up the child and “threw them into the interior of the vehicle.”
The suspected abuser vehemently denied the allegations.
During a phone interview from jail, Wagner told Lancaster Online the abuse allegations are not true.
“You think I’m going to body slam a 6-year-old kid?” the 41-year-old asked. “There’s going to be marks, there’s going to be bruises. I’m 180 pounds. If I slam a 6-year-old kid, which I would never do, it’s going to hurt him.”
Others claimed they told Wagner to stop and ignore the suggestions, allegedly telling witnesses to mind their own business.
He admitted that he became upset in the store with the payment and was in fact disorderly, but Wagner said he did not hurt the child.
“I don’t know how people saw (the child) get slammed, because (the child) didn’t get slammed,” Wagner said. “I maybe picked (the child) up a little bit aggressively, but no, (the child) didn’t get hurt or nothing.”
The allegations bothered many people.
The comment section on the Ephrata Police Department’s Facebook page worry the family’s home life could be even worse.
“Well whatever happen there is more to the story . But if this happen here in public wonder what else happens anywhere else at least the ephrata cops did something not like cocalico cops they let ppl that hurt kids go n do nothing,” one person wrote.
“If it didn’t happen then the mother should have no problem asking to see the footage..especially since she wants to defend him..girl bye. Your husband is the literal definition of scum of the earth !? Next,” another pointed out.
But others wonder if there is more to the story. Like this person who wrote, “I want the camera footage. So the man raised the kid in the air and slammed him down on the ground. That kid would be injured and in the hospital. Camera footage.”
Police released Wager after he posted a $100,000 bond. He’s due in court on August 17.
