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Photos of man gripping child's hair onto Walmart shopping cart prompts investigation

Cleveland police, CPS investigating

CLEVELAND, Texas – Cleveland police are investigating after photos of a man gripping his daughter's hair onto a Walmart shopping cart surfaced on social media.

Erika Burch and her husband, Robert Burch, witnessed the incident Monday afternoon at a Cleveland Walmart. She said her husband turned to her and asked, "Do you see what that guy is doing to that little girl?"

Erika Burch said the man was "dragging this little girl by the hair." She said the little girl was saying, "Please stop. I promise I won't do it again. Please stop!"

That's when Erika Burch took several photos of the man and the girl.

"I said, 'Hey you need to let her hair go,' and he said, 'No you need to mind your own business,'" Erika Burch said.

"He dragged that baby around the store," Robert Burch said.

No description found
No description found

Erika Burch said she told the man to let go of the girl's hair, but he told her to mind her own business.

Ora Schumann was another Walmart shopper who witnessed the incident.

"He was angry because she wasn't standing right next to the basket, so he grabbed her by the head of her hair and pulled her to the basket," Schumann said. "He just said, 'Get over here, I told you to get over here, I'm not going to tell you again,' and then after he said that, she said, 'I'm sorry I won't do that again, I'm sorry.'"

KPRC2 Jake Reiner spoke to the woman who saw a man in a Cleveland Walmart grab his daughter by the hair while he was still holding onto the shopping cart. STORY-->http://bit.ly/2cERjs3

Posted by KPRC2 / Click2Houston on Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Erika Burch said she called police.

"Very concerned for the well-being of the child," Cleveland police Chief Darrel Broussard said.

Police said they are working with Child Protective Services on the investigation.

CPS told KPRC 2 that they are checking to see if there are other children in the home and if the man in the photo has a "pattern of behavior."

Erika Burch's Facebook post with the photos has been shared more than 18,000 times with many people expressing their concern for the child.

"This is so sad. I feel horrible for that poor baby girl. I hope this gets investigated further," Tracy C. wrote.

"No matter what a child does, you never pull them by their hair," Luis Z. wrote.

While other people did not agree with how the child is being punished, they say people should not be too quick to judge the situation.

"While I do not agree with his methods I'm not judging him either. The child probably needed some discipline and he made his choice," Don T. said.

No charges have been filed.

The Cleveland Police Department has received numerous calls in regards to a child having her hair pulled last night at...

Posted by Cleveland Police Department on Tuesday, September 20, 2016

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