Have you come across the Johnny Ricks McDonald’s incident making rounds on Reddit and Twitter? It narrates a disturbing tale of an altercation involving a man attacking a young girl at a McDonald’s outlet. The individual in question, Johnny Ricks, has been apprehended and is facing legal charges.
The 25-year-old accused of assaulting a teenage girl outside a McDonald’s in St. Louis County has a history marked by previous arrests related to assault, with a prior conviction in the City of St. Louis, for which he is presently on probation.
These revelations surfaced during a bond hearing for Johnny Ricks, who stands accused of first-degree assault in connection to the April 7 incident.
Who is Johnny Ricks?
Johnny Ricks, aged 25, has a documented history of violent behavior, with multiple arrests on charges including assault and battery. In 2019, he was convicted of felony assault after an altercation with a woman in a parking lot, resulting in a two-year prison sentence, from which he was released on parole.
St. Louis County Circuit Judge Krista Peyton set Ricks’ bail at $150,000, following a contentious exchange between prosecutor Te’Arie Williams and Ricks’ attorney Derek Cortez.
Cortez argued that the video capturing Ricks pulling on Aryiah Lynch’s braids and pressing his foot on her head offers only a partial view of the events, claiming Lynch had been attacking Ricks’ younger sister beforehand.
“He intervened while his sister was under attack,” Cortez informed Judge Peyton, emphasizing that Lynch’s age was not the focal point when defending a sibling.
Lynch’s mother, speaking at the hearing, vehemently opposed this narrative, asserting, “The video speaks for itself. There was no justification for his attack.”
Williams presented the video to Judge Peyton, alongside details of Ricks’ numerous previous arrests for assault dating back to 2018, spanning incidents in both city and county jurisdictions, as well as at Lincoln University and Jefferson City.
While not all arrests resulted in charges, two felony assault charges in St. Louis City in 2021 led to a conviction, for which Ricks was on probation at the time of the McDonald’s incident, according to Williams.
Lynch’s mother emphasized her daughter’s vulnerability, being 15 but appearing younger, and her traumatizing experience at work, where she had been saving for her upcoming 16th birthday. She recounted Lynch’s current state of fear, multiple surgeries, and breathing difficulties.
“She can’t breathe through her nose, and her nosebleeds flow into her mouth,” she disclosed, expressing dismay over the absence of an attempted murder charge but relief that Ricks’ charge had been elevated to first-degree assault.
She chose not to disclose her name to the judge or engage with the media post-hearing. Outside the courtroom, about a dozen of Ricks’ acquaintances and family members gathered in support.
“Unlike many of my clients, Mr. Ricks enjoys strong community backing,” Cortez remarked to reporters, hinting at forthcoming security footage that might shed light on the events preceding Ricks’ alleged assault.
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