A Texas man who used his three-month-old baby to push snow off a car is being investigated by police after a video of the disgraceful act went viral online.
The Port Arthur father, only described as a 25-year-old, was seen using the infant as a windshield wiper on a Hyundai Elantra on January 21 during the brutal winter storm that hit the area last week , according to KFDM.
In the now-deleted TikTok video, the man, dressed in dark pants, a white T-shirt and sneakers, was seen sliding the baby along the back and front windshield as he laughed.
Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso said the incident occurred at the O.W. Collins Elderly Apartments during the blizzard, according to 12News. In a follow-up, Duriso also intimated that the child is the man's baby.
The Port Arthur Police Department and Child Protective Services are currently trying to get to the bottom of what happened after Cory Crenshaw, a well-known attorney in Beaumont, brought the disturbing clip to their attention, the outlet said.
Duriso questioned the man in the video and soon found out that he was not the only one there when it happened. His identity has not been released.
'He had two other females with him at the time. We suspect one of them was the mom. They checked on the baby. The baby was just fine,' he said, adding that the child is still in the parent's custody.
Duriso said the department is currently looking into the man's criminal history. An arrest warrant is expected to be issued next week through the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office.
A 25-year-old man from Port Arthur, Texas is being investigated by police after he was seen using a three-month-old baby to wipe snow off a car last week
The unidentified man is seen smiling after momentarily picking up the infant before placing them back on the freezing car
'We confirmed that it was a three-month-old baby,' Duriso said as he shared his dismay with the video.
'It's a sad situation. I know a lot of people go to social media and they are looking for clicks... but this is not a deal where you should put a baby on the windshield,' the chief said.
In the video, although the baby is not seen moving around a lot, at one point the child appeared to jerk their leg.
By the end, the tiny baby was left covered in snow as the man picked them up and giggled.
The video has left many internet users divided, with some insisting that the man should face consequences for his actions, and others saying it was just a harmless joke.
'I couldn’t believe my eyes when I seen this idiot do this. He should not be allowed near any child,' one said.
'This is horrible and anybody who thinks this is remotely funny is sick in the head…. Come on now !!! Yall really be doing some crazy ish for likes and views,' wrote another.
A user said: 'This video made me sick to watch.'
Police are currently looking into the man's criminal history. An arrest warrant is expected to be issued next week through the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office
Many online users have speculated if the man was actually sliding a baby doll across the car, while others attacked him for using a real child
While many people attacked the man for what he did, others said the two females who were with him should also be punished.
'The mom needs to be charged too for standing there recording the video. This was taken extremely too far,' someone said.
Another commenter said: 'Just curious if this is the attention he was looking for? Don't think tiktok $ will cover your bond. And where was the mom to this infant?????'
A lot of people also defended the man and insisted that a baby doll was used, not a real child.
'Obviously he dressed a doll up in the babys [sic] clothes and did this,' one said.
'Definitely looks like a doll,' another added.
'It looks like a baby doll. They need to be 100 percent. It truly does not look real, a commenter wrote.
DailyMail.com contacted the Port Arthur Police Department for comment.
