(NBC Washington) Authorities in South Jersey are searching for a McDonald’s employee caught on video violently beating a young mother in front of her toddler.

A 54-second long video, recorded by an on-looker and posted to the internet, shows a woman, wearing a red McDonald’s uniform, briefly exchanging words with the victim in a grassy area in Salem City, New Jersey. Moments later, she throws the young mother to the ground, sits on top of her and unleashes a series of punches to the victim’s face and chest.

“Mommy!” the victim’s young son cries as the beating happens just inches from him. The boy tries kicking the attacker several times to get her to stop, but the punches continue to fly.

The attacker then gets up and kicks the woman in the lower back before threatening the boy.

“You better get your son before I kick him in the [expletive] face too,” she screams.

The suspect, identified by police as 25-year-old Latia Harris, allegedly accused the woman of spreading rumors about her and her restaurant manager. The beating took place in a field next to the Salem City McDonald’s along East Broadway, police said.

As for the people who recorded the incident and did not intervene, Salem City Police Chief John Pelura said he’s disgusted by their actions.

“There is a moral and social breakdown in the fabric of our society which is clearly evident when a woman gets pummeled in broad daylight in front of her child while a dozen people pull out their phones to record the incident instead of calling for help,” he said in a statement. “There is so little regard for human life – by the actor and the bystanders.”

Read more: http://bit.ly/1lhRl35

beating, charges, McDonalds Employee, NBC Washington, threatens child

Copyright KOBI-TV. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without written permission.