Johnny Ricks, a 25-year-old man from St. Louis, has been charged and arrested for allegedly attacking Aryiah Lynch, a 15-year-old employee at McDonald’s during a vicious brawl.
According to a report from First Alert 4, St. Louis County Police swiftly responded to an incident at the McDonald’s on Parker Road in unincorporated St. Louis County around 7 p.m. on April 7. Officers were notified about a chaotic altercation that had broken out in the fast-food restaurant’s parking lot.
During the tumultuous brawl, Ricks allegedly seized Lynch by her braids, forcibly dragged her across the parking lot, and proceeded to stomp on her head with his shoe, according to a video obtained by the outlet. Following this reprehensible assault, Ricks was further accused of punching Lynch in the face multiple times, as stated by the St. Louis County Police.
In the background, multiple individuals are observed engaging in physical altercations. Another individual is seen kicking the teenager in the leg while witnesses attempt to push the unnamed aggressor away.
During an interview with First Alert 4, Lynch, who is still recovering and underwent surgery following the assault according to her GoFundMe, said she was still in shock over the unthinkable attack.
“Getting stomped out by a grown man? I wasn’t prepared for what was gonna happen,” the teen said.
What led up to the attack?
According to Lynch, the brawl erupted in the McDonald’s drive-thru after Ricks and a group of unnamed associates arrived, behaving boisterously and obnoxiously.
“It was getting loud and doing the most and being obnoxious in the drive-thru, so we said, ‘If you want to get your order taken, step inside.’”
When the rowdy group entered the restaurant, the situation quickly escalated. Lynch reported that Ricks and his group of unidentified associates began swinging, throwing objects, and even spitting on at least four McDonald’s employees.
“That’s nasty; how would you like it if someone were to spit on you?” Jahmia Stokes, who was working on the day of the incident, said. Stokes alleged Ricks tried to attack her, too.
“Then he lunged towards me and told me he was going to punch me.”
At a particularly chaotic moment during the incident, St. Louis County Police reported that Ricks flew into a rage and hurled a food tray at an electronic menu screen, causing it to shatter and become damaged beyond repair, the New York Post reported. The fight then moved outside, where Lynch’s vicious beating at the hands of Ricks was caught on camera.
Lynch is slowly recovering.
According to a GoFundMe campaign created to assist with the teen’s medical costs, Lynch underwent surgery at a St. Louis hospital on April 17 to address injuries sustained in the brutal assault. Her injuries included frontal lobe damage, a broken nose, a concussion and facial lacerations.
According to the campaign, Lynch hopes to return to work soon and prays to be fully recovered in time for her graduation. Her GoFundMe has garnered over $33,000, but it is still short of its $50,000 goal.
Ricks was charged with second-degree assault and second-degree property damage shortly after he was arrested on April 18 by the St. Louis County Police Department. The charge was upgraded due to the severity of Lynch’s injuries, First Alert 4 noted.
Ricks is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center until his bond reduction hearing on April 25. He is currently being held on a $150,000 cash-only bond.
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