A 15-year-old McDonald’s employee suffered a fractured skull after an upset customer dragged her by the hair and stomped her head to the ground.
Aryiah Lynch was working at the fast food restaurant in St Louis County when Johnny Ricks, 25, allegedly became enraged while ordering from the counter and threw a plastic tray at an electronic menu board that broke it, according to police reports obtained by KSDK.
Lynch and other workers tried to escort Rocks and the group of adults he was with outside, and a brawl ensued.
A video obtained by KMOV shows a man, allegedly Rick, dragging Lynch by her long braids and then using his foot to stomp her head to the cocrete. Lynch tries to get up but is punched by the suspect several more times.
Lynch was transported to a nearby hospital in St Louis, Missouri, on April 8 with a skull fracture, frontal lobe damage, a broken nose, many lacerations and had a concussion, her mother Shawnunique Phillips wrote on a GoFundMe page for her.
‘Getting stomped out by a grown man?’ Lynch told First Alert 4.
‘I wasn’t prepared for what was gonna happen… I was just trying to protect myself in the moment.’
Lynch underwent a successful surgery on Wednesday and ‘is fighting hard to stay upbeat and heal but this is only the beginning of a very uphill battle’, wrote Phillips.
She is in bed rest and hopes to return to work, said her mother, adding that she is very independent, loves school and was looking forward to graduating.
The assault was a ‘life changing experience’ for Lynch.
‘She is a 15 year old ambitious young lady, who enjoys spending time with her siblings and working at McDonald’s,’ Phillips wrote. ‘She is saving money for her upcoming birthday.’
‘Please keep Aryiah in your prayers and lets help to uplift her in the most positive way to help her remain in good spirits.’
The GoFundMe page had raised more than $31,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Ricks was arrested on Wednesday and charged with second-degree assault and property damage, according to the St Louis County Justice Center.
He is being held on a $150,000 bond and is not allowed contact Lynch or go within 500 feet of any McDonald’s. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
‘I just want him in jail and charges to be pressed,’ Lynch said.
Ricks was arrested a day after a McDonald’s customer in Zephyrhills, Florida, allegedly shot and beat another customer who tried to intervene on Ricks’ meltdown at an employee over his order missing sauce.
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