51-Year-Old Man Accused Of Punching 11-Year-Old Girl At North Carolina Mall

David Steven Bell is accused of striking one girl and assaulting two others.
Video posted to YouTube appears to show the reported assault.
Video posted to YouTube appears to show the reported assault.

Police in North Carolina arrested a 51-year-old man accused of striking a preteen girl in an incident that was apparently caught on video.

According to Asheville police, David Steven Bell, of Black Mountain, has been charged with assault on a child under 12 and two counts of assault on a female.

David Steven Bell is accused of striking one girl and assaulting two others.
David Steven Bell is accused of striking one girl and assaulting two others.
Asheville Police Department

Authorities said the alleged assaults occurred at the Asheville Mall on Jan. 12. Bell is accused of pushing and punching an 11-year-old girl and of assaulting two 13-year-old girls. The circumstances leading up to the incident are still under investigation, police said.

The video below posted to YouTube appears to show the alleged assault and may be upsetting to some readers. A man, purportedly Bell, in a gray pullover is seen in a crowd of young people. He is pushed, and responds by pushing a girl and then striking her in the face.

Bell is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 5, the Asheville Citizen Times reported.

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