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Mom Arrested, Accused Of Attacking Irritated Colma Shopper Who Asked Her To Quiet Tantrum-Throwing Kid

COLMA (KPIX 5) — Colma police have arrested a 27-year-old woman, accused of attacking a shopper at Nordstrom Rack after being asked to quiet down a tantrum-throwing child with her. Officers identified Terrie Elzie as the woman on surveillance video, and she is being held on $50,000 bail on suspicion of felony battery causing serious injury.

A shopper at the Colma store said she was punched in the face by a mother after telling her to quiet down her child, who was throwing a tantrum on November 3rd.

Natalie Bree Hajek-Richardson told KPIX 5 that she was in the checkout line of the Nordstrom Rack when a child between the age of 4 and 6 began throwing a loud tantrum.

"It didn't bother me that the child was throwing the tantrum, but the volume was very loud, it was hurting my ears," Hajek-Richardson said.

The shopper said she asked the child's mother to quiet the child down, but nicely. That's when things began going sideways.

"She came to the side of me and told me not to tell her child what to do. And I told her that I didn't ask your child what to do, I asked you very nicely to calm down your child just a little bit," Hajek-Richardson recalled.

Hajek-Richardson said she then told the mom off. "I told her to go to hell and she told me I'll see you there," she said.

When Hajek-Richardson left the store, she said the mom followed her to her car. "Was asking me, 'Where'd you tell me to go?' So I repeated again what I said to her, and I told her that I told her to go to hell," she said.

Video shows a woman suspected to be Elzie in a red shirt walking toward Hajek-Richardson before they both end up on the asphalt.

"My teeth hurt, my elbow hurts, I got a bruise on my thigh," Hajek-Richardson said. Her gums are black and blue and she may lose two of her teeth. Dentists were able to re-insert one tooth in her gum, and the other two are being bonded together to save them.

Even in the wake of the attack she defends her choice.

The case is now with the San Mateo County District Attorney.

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