Forest Park police have released a sketch of a man accused of attacking an 80-year-old woman and her daughter in a grocery store checkout line earlier this month.
The incident occurred the morning of Feb. 3 at the Wholesale Food Outlet on Jonesboro Road, authorities said.
Surveillance video from the store appears to show the man grab the older woman by her hair and throw her from her motorized shopping cart after punching her daughter in the face.
RELATED: WATCH: 80-year-old woman, daughter attacked in grocery store checkout line
The women, 80-year-old Mary Gardner and 60-year-old Kathy Malone, told Channel 2 Action News they were about to pay for their groceries when the man attacked them.
They said he became irate because he thought Gardner cut in front of him in line. He didn’t realize she was shopping with her daughter, who was already ahead of him.
“He slammed me so hard on the floor, and you know that floor is concrete,” Gardner told Channel 2. “It just happened so fast.”
Gardner suffered scrapes and bruises in the scuffle but wasn’t seriously injured. The video shows the store manager come around the checkout line and stand between the man and the other customers once he realized what was happening.
“If I had my cane — I left it in the car — I’d have hit him in the back of the head,” Gardner said. “If he did us like that, he’ll do somebody else like that.”
Over the weekend, Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill didn’t mince words as he offered a cash reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
MORE: Sheriff offers cash to find man who attacked 80-year-old woman at grocery store
"I want to know who the hell thinks he can manhandle a grandmother in Clayton County without incurring the wrath of the sheriff's office," he said Saturday in a statement. "I will personally give $2,500 cash out of my own pocket to anyone who helps us identify and arrest this dummy."
Forest Park Mayor Angelyne Butler also pledged to contribute to a reward for information leading to the man’s capture, and asked city council members to do the same.
The suspect is described a man with a darker skin tone who is at least 50 years old. He is at least 6 feet tall and weighs more than 225 pounds, authorities said.
At the time of the attack, the victims said the man was wearing rose-colored glasses and bright orange or red shoes. He was seen leaving the grocery store in a tan Toyota sedan with a license plate that begins with “RHP.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Forest Park police at 404-366-4141. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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