Cori Richardson says she was trying to get into her car with her baby and 9-year-old daughter when a man left an empty shopping cart right behind the vehicle.
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"I yelled to him, 'can you please put your cart away?' and he said, 'no, there's people that they pay to do that.' So I was like, 'well, just don't leave it behind my car, please,' and he literally just came charging at me full force.'"
Cori told WISN-TV the man threw her to the ground, punching and kicking the woman before letting her back up. But then she says she realized he had taken her keys.
"So I asked him for my keys back and came at him," Cori said, "and then he attacked me again. But this time grabbing my hair. And threw me to the ground and kind of dragged me."
The attack happened right before her children, her youngest, an 8-week-old son, still in his carrier in a shopping cart as she was being beaten.
Police came to the woman's aid after shoppers called 911.
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"One of the witnesses stood behind his car to try to get him to stop, so he couldn't leave. He then hit her with his car," Cori said.
The 60-year-old suspect, John Engebos, was taken into custody in the parking lot and faces charges of felony reckless endangerment, battery and disorderly conduct.
Engebos could be sentenced to as many as 10 years in prison, if convicted.
He is out on bond but is scheduled to appear before a judge on Aug. 7.
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