Assault at McDonald’s: Adult Male with Rap Sheet Stomps 15-Year-Old Worker, Fracturing Skull

DEBARYLIFE – Police say a raucous group of patrons started a fight with staff inside the restaurant earlier this month, which led to a vicious attack on a 15-year-old female employee of McDonald’s in the parking lot. The attacker repeatedly stomped on her head and pulled her by the hair. The attacker has a long criminal history.

According to St. Louis County Police, Johnny Ricks, 25, grabbed the adolescent by her hair and dragged her across the restaurant’s parking lot just outside of St. Louis. He then allegedly struck her in the face and head, hitting the concrete. Ricks was arrested for assault.

The girl, whose family had set up a GoFundMe page under the name Aryiah Lynch, sustained damage to her frontal lobe, a broken nose, and a fractured skull.

The teen’s mother, Shawnunique Phillips, wrote on the website created to assist pay for her medical bills, saying, “This assault has been a life-changing experience for her.” The project has already raised $13,000 of its $15,000 target.

The tragedy “shattered” the family’s lives, and her mother stated, “She is fighting hard to stay upbeat and heal but this is only the beginning of a very uphill battle.”

Phillips shared a frightening video of Ricks’ cowardly attack on April 7 on Facebook, stating that Ricks ought to face charges of attempted murder or endangering the welfare of children.

According to Lynch’s relatives, the altercation started when Ricks came up to the restaurant’s drive-thru window with a bunch of unidentified individuals in tow and started acting strangely.

The kid told First Alert 4 that “we said, ‘If you want your order taken, step inside,’ because it was getting loud… and being obnoxious in the drive-thru.”

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Then, according to her, the mob barged inside the McDonald’s and began threatening the staff, splattering things all over the place, and spitting on “at least four” people.

At one point, according to St. Louis County Police, Ricks lost his temper and hurled a food tray at an electronic menu screen, smashing it.

The footage shows at least a dozen people—both men and women—fighting and flinging fists as the altercation subsequently spread into the parking lot.

A man who towers over the teenager and has been identified by authorities as Ricks can be seen dragging her about the parking lot like a rag doll in the footage. He then raises his foot to almost waist height and lands it on the defenseless girl’s skull.

“Being trampled by an adult male?” Later, the hurt adolescent told a local publication. “I wasn’t ready for what was going to occur.”

After undergoing surgery, she received treatment and was discharged from the hospital; according to her GoFundMe page, she intends to resume work shortly.

Ricks’ criminal history is as extensive as a crime bingo card; offenses from as early as 2016 are listed in public records, ranging from theft and fraud to reckless driving, disorderly conduct, and even littering. He was taken into custody for severe assault in April of 2023.

Due to accusations of second-degree property damage and felony assault, Ricks is being detained in the St. Louis County Justice Center.

April 25 is his next scheduled court date; however, it was unclear if he had hired legal representation at that time.

Jimmy Williams, the owner of the McDonald’s where the fight started, told First Alert 4 in a statement, “As a local business owner, ensuring the safety of both our employees and customers is paramount to me, and we have a strict workplace violence policy at my restaurants.”

“In their investigation, my team is fully assisting the St. Louis County Police.”

According to the publication, the St. Louis County Police are actively looking for other victims, witnesses, and suspects while collaborating with the North County Precinct to investigate the crime.

Ricks’ bond is for $150,000 cash only—not ten percent.