Police arrested a 23-year-old Jefferson City man who witnesses say punched and kicked his young daughter at a shopping mall on Saturday.
Officers responded around 3:55 p.m. to reports of child abuse at Capital Mall, 3600 Country Club Dr. Witnesses told police they saw a man assaulting his daughter before driving off with the child.
Officers used video of the incident to identify the suspect and eventually located him and the 4-year-old victim at a Jefferson City residence.
Police describe the girl's physical injuries from the assault as "obvious but minor." She was taken into protective custody. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.