Community showing support for autistic boy seen on video being slapped by stranger

Community rallies around homeless Pacoima family

After video surfaced of man slapping a homeless autistic for touching the hood ornament of his car, the community has rallied to help get the family off the street.

LOS ANGELES - Love and support is pouring in for a homeless autistic boy and his family after a disturbing video showing the child being slapped by a stranger went viral.

In the video, a stranger slapped 10-year-old Alfredo Morales in the face after the boy touched the emblem of his Mercedes.

His mother, Claudia Morales, thought it was just one more indecency they'd have to endure for a long while. "Because we are homeless, we have been humiliated," she said in spanish.

The family has been living in a park in Arleta, but thanks to support, they are now in a hotel.

"We got a county agency to come in, and they acted even though it was a holiday. They understood the urgency of the situation," said attorney Antonio Villegas.

Boy with autism slapped by man

A boy with autism got slapped in the face by a man in Pacoima, leaving his family heartbroken by the uncomfortable incident.

The family now has a hotel voucher until Tuesday, and Villegas is working on getting them more permanent housing. He's also gathered a team of attorneys to champion the family and get them all types of services. Like others, he was moved by the tenderness and grace of Alfredo's parents.

"I'm going to use it to help this tragic situation become transformative in their lives," Villegas added.

Others in the community, including rapper Swifty Blue are also stepping up to help.

"We bought some water. We bought some food for them. Humble, hardworking family. You know they don't want no handouts. They want to work," the rapper told FOX 11's Cristy Fajardo.

The family says they used to own a restaurant, but struggled through the pandemic and had to close last August.

A GoFundMe me for the family has already blown past its $10,000 goal, and community members are hoping to get them off the streets for good and back in the restaurant business.