A goon with a long rap sheet attacked a 15-year-old female McDonald's employee -- dragging her by her hair and repeatedly stomping on her head in the parking lot following a confrontation that started inside the restaurant with a group of unruly customers, police said.
Johnny Ricks, 25, was arrested for assault after he grabbed the teenager by her hair and forcefully pulled her across the restaurant's parking lot in St. Louis County, before slamming her head onto the concrete and punching her in the face, St. Louis County Police said. The girl identified as Aryiah Lynch suffered a fractured skull, a broken nose, and damage to her frontal lobe.
Near-Deadly Attack
Shawnunique Phillips, the mother of the teenager, shared on a GoFundMe page that "This assault has been a life-changing experience for her." The page was created to help with covering her medical costs and has already gathered $13,000 out of its $15,000 target.
"She is fighting hard to stay upbeat and heal but this is only the beginning of a very uphill battle," her mother wrote, adding that the incident "shattered" the family's lives.
The cowardly attack unfolded on April 7 and was recorded in a troubling video shared on Facebook by Phillips who claimed that Ricks should face charges of child endangerment or attempted murder.
According to Lynch's family, the fight began when Ricks, along with a group of unidentified adults, arrived at the restaurant's drive-thru window and started behaving disruptively.
"It was getting loud...and being obnoxious in the drive-thru, so we said, 'if you want to get your order taken, step inside,'" the teen told First Alert 4.
The group then proceeded to enter the McDonald's, where they started menacing the workers by throwing items around the restaurant and spitting on "at least four" employees, as recounted by Lynch's family.
According to the St. Louis County Police, Ricks became enraged during the altercation and hurled a food tray at an electronic menu screen, resulting in its destruction.
The fight then escalated, spilling out into the parking lot where a video shows at least a dozen people, both men and women, grappling and exchanging punches.
Shocking Video
In the video, a man identified by police as Ricks, towering over the teen, is seen dragging her around the parking lot like a ragdoll. He then raises his foot to nearly waist height before forcefully bringing it down on the helpless girl's skull.
"Getting stomped out by a grown man?" the injured teen later told the local outlet. "I wasn't prepared for what was gonna happen."
She was treated and discharged from the hospital after undergoing surgery. According to her GoFundMe page, she hopes to return to work soon.
Ricks' criminal record presents a litany of charges dating back to 2016, spanning from theft and fraud to excessive speeding, disorderly conduct, and even littering. In April 2023, he was arrested for aggravated assault.
Ricks is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center, facing charges of felony assault and second-degree property damage.
His next court appearance is set for April 25, although it remains unclear if he has retained and attorney.
"Ensuring the safety of both our employees and customers is paramount to me as a local business owner, and we have a strict workplace violence policy at my restaurants," Jimmy Williams, the owner of the McDonald's location where the brawl broke out said in a statement.
"My team is fully cooperating with the St. Louis County police in their investigation."
