St. Louis man charged, arrested following violent fight outside North County McDonalds
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A man was charged and arrested for assaulting an employee at a McDonalds in North County.
Johnny Ricks, 25, of St. Louis, was initially charged with second-degree assault and property damage. He was arrested by the St. Louis County Police Department on April 18 around 1:30 p.m. on Olive Boulevard. A week later, the assault charge was upgraded to first-degree because of the severity of the victim’s injuries.
St. Louis County police said officers were called to the McDonald’s on Parker Road in unincorporated St. Louis County just before 7:00 p.m. on April 7. The caller saw a large group of people fighting, officers said.
“Getting stomped out by a grown man?” asked McDonald’s worker Aryiah Lynch. “I wasn’t prepared for what was gonna happen.”
Lynch, 15, told First Alert 4 that watching herself in the middle of this fast food feud is something she would’ve never imagined. While the video only shows what happened outside the restaurant, Lynch said it started in the drive-thru.
“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,” recalled Lynch.
She said once the customers came inside, they took swings, tossed objects, and even spit on at least four McDonald’s employees.
“‘That’s nasty, how would you like it if someone was to spit on you?’” asked Jahmia Stokes, who was also working that day. “Then he lunged towards me and told me he was going to punch me.”
According to a release from police, Ricks had gotten upset and destroyed an electronic menu board by throwing a tray at it.
The fight then moved outside, and that’s when the video seemingly shows a man dragging Lynch across the asphalt, bashing her head into the concrete before eventually hitting her in the face.
Police said EMS responded to Lynch’s injuries. She said she went to the hospital with head and nose injuries.
“I was just trying to protect myself in the moment. I just want him in jail and charges to be pressed,” said Lynch.
The owner of the McDonald’s location, Jimmy Williams, sent First Alert 4 the following statement:
“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. My team is fully cooperating with the St. Louis County police in their investigation.”
St. Louis County police told First Alert 4 they’re investigating with the North County Precinct and working to identify more victims, witnesses and suspects.
A GoFundMe account has been created to help pay for Lynch’s medical bills.
Copyright 2024 KMOV. All rights reserved.
