UPDATED 7/9, 11:00 p.m. ET: The man accused of punching the 12-year-old dancer has turned himself in to police, CNN reports. He has been identified by police as 27-year-old Cedric Charles Moore.
According to the New York Times, he faces charges of felony assault in the second degree and felony child endangerment in the first degree.
See original story below.
Police identified a Missouri man who committed a random act of violence against a 12-year-old dancer, the New York Times reports.
Officers in Cape Girardeau, Missouri identified 27-year-old Cedric Charles Moore Jr. as the man who attacked Ethan Hagler while the boy was performing on a street corner.
Hagler is a member of the Fingerprint Urban Dance Studio. He and two other members of the hip-hop dance studio were performing while their dance instructor, Michael Curry, livestreamed the session. As Hagler started to dance, a black SUV drove by and stopped in the middle of the street. Moore exited the vehicle and walked towards Hagler. After pretending he was going to join the performance, Moore hit Hagler from behind, forcing him to fall to the concrete. Moore ran back to the SUV, which fled from the scene.
Ethan was taken to a nearby hospital. His mother, Stephanie N. Hagler, revealed that "nothing was broken, but he does have a concussion."
"I wish that I knew what provoked him that day," she said about Moore. "What provoked this man that day to lash out at a child?"
After news of the attack hit the internet, Hagler has been flooded with support. Per TMZ, a GoFundMe set up in Ethan's honor has raised more than $14,000. Once his medical bills are covered, the remaining money will be used to pay his tuition at the studio. His mother insists the attack will not deter him from continuing to pursue his dance career.
Police are still looking for the suspect. They have gone to his home and "places he frequents" but haven't received cooperation from those close to him. They have also been unable to reach him via phone or email. He's now facing charges of felony assault in the second degree and felony child endangerment in the first degree.
