A 15-year-old McDonald’s worker suffered a skull fracture and frontal lobe damage after an upset customer stomped on her head during a violent altercation. According to KSDK, the incident occurred at a McDonald’s on Parker Road, St. Louis.
The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Johnny Ricks, was filmed attacking the victim Aryiah Lynch outside the restaurant. The St. Louis County Police Department said Ricks – a customer – assaulted Lynch after he became upset. He is also said to have damaged an electronic menu board before the restaurant’s workers asked him to leave.
But an argument occurred after Ricks was taken outside. In the video, a man police identify as Ricks is seen pulling an employee to the ground after grabbing her hair. He is then seen stomping on the employee’s head before punching her in the head when she tries to get up.
Lynch’s stepmom, Shawnunique Phillips, said the teen also suffered a concussion from the attack and had to undergo surgery on April 17. She said her daughter additionally suffered a broken nose and many lacerations in her head.
“My 15-year-old daughter and her teenage co-workers were assaulted at their place of employment. They came into the McDonald’s and began to spit on my daughter and the young man at the cash register. The incident started in the drive-thru and escalated inside. The adults also began to destroy McDonald’s property by throwing things and damaging the self-serve screens,” Phillips stated in a GoFundMe set up for Lynch.
She provided details about her daughter, stating that the teen is an “ambitious young lady, who enjoys spending time with her siblings and working at McDonald’s.” Philips added that Lynch was saving money for her upcoming birthday.
“This assault has been a life changing experience for her,” Phillips said. “In minutes, our family’s life shattered when my only daughter was assaulted outside of the McDonald’s on Parker Road and 367.”
Ricks, who is in custody, has since been charged with assault second-degree and property damage, KSDK reported. His bond hearing review is scheduled for April 25, and his bond condition bars him from establishing any contact with Lynch. He has also been ordered to stay 500 feet away from any McDonald’s.
“Ensuring the safety of both our employees and customers is paramount to me as a local business owner. My team and I want to extend our sincere gratitude to the St. Louis County Police Department for their exceptional work,” the owner/operator of the McDonald’s, Jimmy Williams, said in a statement.
