Video shows women duke it out at SoCal Trader Joe’s over kids allegedly left in car

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A parking-lot showdown at a Southern California Trader Joe’s is going viral after a concerned shopper confronted a mother over children allegedly left alone inside a car.

The heated confrontation unfolded at a Trader Joe’s in Whittier, California, where an argument between two women quickly turned physical.

The incident began after a woman noticed children sitting inside an unattended vehicle in the store’s parking lot, its unclear when the confrontation occurred.

The woman, identified through Instagram comments as Whittier resident Ani Sanati, allegedly contacted police and the Trader Joe’s manager before intervening, according to an Instagram comment from her friend.

“There is also more to this situation than a short clip or social media commentary can show,” the friend wrote. “The police instructed her to open the vehicle if it was unlocked.”

Sanati allegedly opened the car door — and the situation quickly erupted.

“You’re doing this to my kid, you opened my car door,” the mother said as she grabbed Sanati’s hair.

Bystanders yelled at the mother to “let go” as she tightened her grip and a Trader Joe’s employee tried to physically intervene.

The mother can be heard in the video yelling, “You open my car door on my kid, and then you threaten me in front of my kids… you don’t ever do that.”

“She assaulted me first,” the mother yelled as the Trader Joe’s employee tried to remove her hands from Sanati.

When the mother finally let go, Sanati turned to the Trader Joe’s employee, said, “thank you” and quickly walked away.

“That’s fine you’re gonna get sued,” the mother said to Sanati at the end of the video.

The video, posted Monday, has over 1.5 million views and ignited debate in the comment section as Instagram users split between defending the mother and Sanati.

“People online can debate the situation all they want, but leaving children unattended in a car is wrong!” Sanati’s friend of over 15 years commented.

The same friend responded to comments asking for details on the situation, saying one of the children in the car was a baby and the other was under 6 years old. The friend also stated that the mother was called on the intercom in the store and that the manager was informed.

However, many commenters are defending the mother for using her “mama bear” instincts.

“Oh, she opened her child’s car door! I would have panicked. What would another mother do?” one comment read. 

A bystander of the incident took her opinion to the comment section as well, saying she “saw and heard it all.”

“The kids were inside the car with the windows up and the 2 ladies were trying to help. She also sped away so fast as one of the kids was not even in the car seat,” the bystander wrote. “Not to mention she was parked in handicapped and no handicapped plates or placard. The police arrived after she left.”

California’s “Good Samaritan” law gives bystanders permission to enter a vehicle to rescue a child age 6 or younger — but only if they have a “reasonable belief” the youngster is in immediate, life-threatening danger.

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