Inset: Timothy Coe during an alleged attack on a mother in a Walmart parking lot (KOIN). Background: The Walmart in Vancouver, Washington, where the alleged attack took place (KOIN).
A 79-year-old man in Washington state is accused of attacking a mother with her infant in a Walmart parking lot, allegedly punching her in the face because she "tapped" his car with her hand to keep him from hitting her as she put her child in the car seat.
Timothy Coe was taken into custody and charged with one count of fourth-degree assault, authorities announced.
According to a press release from the Clark County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded at 10:13 a.m. on Nov. 10 to the Walmart in the 9000 block of NE Highway 99 in Hazel Dell for a reported assault.
The caller was a woman who told the dispatcher that "a man had punched her in the face and pushed her to the ground," per the release. She was with her infant child at the time.
The victim remained at the scene until deputies arrived and gave them video footage and photos of the suspect and his vehicle, including his license plate.
According to the victim, she was in the parking lot putting her infant in a car seat when another vehicle tried to park in the spot directly next to her. As the other car was parking, the victim became concerned they were going to hit her, so she "tapped the vehicle to alert the driver."
The victim said the other driver was furious about the tap.
"According to the victim, the driver, later identified as Coe, exited his vehicle and an argument followed," the release states. "The victim reported that Coe punched her on the right side of her face with his left fist and grabbed her arms. Deputies observed redness on her face, swelling around her eyelid, and bruising on her arms."
A witness intervened and separated Coe and the victim, the sheriff's office said.
The following morning, deputies went to Coe's home in Vancouver and took him into custody without incident.
The victim, who wished to remain anonymous, provided a statement about the attack to Portland, Oregon, CBS affiliate KOIN. She said she tapped on Coe's car because as he was backing up, he nearly hit her open car door. She claimed he immediately escalated the situation, which she started recording on her phone.
"The man struck my phone, causing the recording to stop, and punched me in the face," she reportedly wrote. "I had gotten my son inside the vehicle and closed and locked the door, but he had not yet been buckled into his car seat. The man then came up behind me, wrapped his arms around me, grabbed my hands, and physically restrained me while attempting to take my phone."
The victim said she was "screaming" for Coe to get off her.
"I kicked, swung my elbows, and scratched in an attempt to get free," she wrote. "I was unable to move freely or access my phone to call for help while being physically restrained."
Coe was booked into the Clark County Jail, but no longer appeared as "in custody" by Friday afternoon. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to appear in court.