A tragic incident left a 15-year-old girl with a fractured skull, among other injuries, after she was attacked by a 25-year-old man who assaulted her at a St. Louis McDonald’s where the teenager worked.
According to The New York Post, the young girl, Aryiah Lynch, was recovering in the hospital after the suspect, Johnny Ricks, allegedly attacked her when he dragged her by her hair and repeatedly stomped on her head after pulling her across the McDonald’s parking lot. The incident took place on April 8.
Ricks, who has a lengthy criminal history, has been charged with felony assault and property damage in the second degree. He is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center and is expected back in court on April 25.
Lynch suffered a fractured skull, a broken nose, and damage to her frontal lobe.
KSDK has reported that Ricks is being held on a $150,000 cash only, without 10%, bond.
According to the St. Louis County Police Department, Ricks
was upset at the fast food restaurant and threw a tray at an electronic menu board. After doing so, McDonald’s workers requested he leave and escorted him outside, and an argument ensued. He was seen in a video allegedly grabbing Lynch and assaulting her by stomping on her head, and when she got up, he hit her in the head again.The owner of McDonald’s, Jimmy Williams, issued a statement:
“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 New York Post reported that Ricks has charges dating back to 2016. They range from theft and fraud to excessive speeding and disorderly conduct, and a year ago in April, he was arrested for aggravated assault.
Lynch’s stepmother, Shawnunique Phillips, started a GoFundMe account to help with medical costs.
“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.”The St. Louis County Police stated they are working with the North County Precinct to investigate further and are looking to identify more victims, witnesses, and suspects.