A prison recently sentenced a 51-year-old man for nine years. The man brutally assaulted two children in Target store in Lodi, California. The incident happened in August and the surveillance video of it was released recently. In the tragedic footage, the police did not reveal the identity of the two men. They were both playing a video game in the electronics section. Jeff Hardcastle moved up from behind and hit the 11-year-old kid. Inhuman enough? Apparently no. As the man did not just stop there.
Jeff then delivered a sucker punch to 5-year-old kid on the face. The intensity of the blow from the man was so hard that the youngster dropped down on the floor. But then the child came to his senses. The 11-year-old rushed to help and pulled the smaller child to a safer place. The police revealed that the children did not provoke the attack. The men started the attack all of a sudden.
The incident affected many people because of its brutality. Deserie Lisondra was one of them and was moved by what she saw. She said, “I really would not contain myself, this is my child, I don’t know you. Why would you put your hands on my child?” The San Joaquin County District Attorney sentenced Hardcastle. And we are sure you have no doubts as to why. He pleaded no contest to assault after causing great physical injury to a minor.
According to Hardcastle’s behavior, the police indicated that he used drugs. In the video, he was wandering eratically up and down the aisles. Behind an electric box, the police were successful in cornering him. The news reporters had a conversation with a few local residents regarding the video. One of them Melvin Goodrum Jr spoke up in the station, “I would have lost it. Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually lost it.”
That wasn’t the end of his plea deal. Hardcastle also admitted to committing a violent robbery in 2008.