Current:Home > NewsPolice arrest suspect weeks after brutal attack of 13-year-old at a McDonald's in Los Angeles -Ascend Finance Compass
Police arrest suspect weeks after brutal attack of 13-year-old at a McDonald's in Los Angeles
View
Date:2025-04-18 18:50:39
Officials arrested a 31-year-old woman Thursday for allegedly attacking a 13-year-old at a Los Angeles McDonald's in a now viral video.
The suspect, Ariana Lauifi, is being held in suspicion of a child abuse felony for the Sept. 6 attack in the Harbor City neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
"The public’s continued interest in the incident resulted in investigators receiving numerous leads, ultimately assisting detectives in positively identifying the suspect," LAPD wrote in a news release.
Cell phone video recordings show a woman brutally punching and kicking 13-year-old Kassidy Jones multiple times, pulling her hair and forcing her to the floor inside the fast-food restaurant as no bystanders interfere. Jones said she and her friends were walking home from school when they stopped at the restaurant to use the restroom, KTLA reported.
See also:Ohio couple sentenced to prison for fraud scheme involving dubious Alzheimer's diagnoses
Jones said a woman she had never met before quickly lunged at her and began beating her. The child added the entire incident was completely unprovoked. She recalled the attacker saying "What the F are you looking at? I fight kids. I’ll fight you!"
The suspect is currently held with the bail price set for $100,000, jail records show. The case will be sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration, LAPD said.
The victim suffered severe bruising including on her face, according ABC7. Jones' mother reportedly said her daughter is also hurting emotionally.
"She can't sleep at night. She's bruised," the victim's mother Angelina Gray told ABC7. "She doesn't want to go to school because she's tired of the kids and everybody asking her what happened and making fun of her."
"The family of Kassidy Jones are extremely grateful that the LAPD has made an arrest of the woman who viciously beat Kassidy in an unprovoked attack inside McDonald's. As McDonald's managers and onlookers offered no help in stopping the assault," a spokesperson for the family said in a statement.
"Kassidy, is still traumatized and undergoing therapy. But hopefully this news will give her encouragement that justice will be served. Kassidy deserves a break today."
“We were horrified to learn about this violent attack, and our thoughts are with Kassidy and her family," store owner and operator Tawnie Blade told USA TODAY. "Employees called police when the fight began, and we’re continuing to work closely with local law enforcement to help with their investigation."
More:Lightning strike kills 16-year-old Florida girl who was out hunting with her dad
veryGood! (4822)
Related
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Rare zombie disease that causes deer to excessively drool before killing them found in Yellowstone
- Dolly Parton Reveals the Real Reason Husband Carl Dean Doesn't Attend Public Events With Her
- Dex Carvey, Dana Carvey's son, dies at age 32
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- You can watch 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' for free this weekend. Here's how.
- New York appeals court temporarily lifts Trump gag order in civil fraud trial
- Why is there lead in some applesauce? FDA now screening cinnamon imports, as authorities brace for reports to climb
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Spain’s Pedro Sánchez beat the odds to stay prime minister. Now he must keep his government in power
Ranking
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- New York authorities make 'largest-ever seizure' of counterfeit goods worth more than $1B
- Moms for Liberty removes two Kentucky chapter leaders who posed with far-right Proud Boys
- Convicted sex offender found guilty of hacking jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Love golden retrievers? Your heaven on Earth exists and it's in Vermont
- Police misconduct settlements can cost millions, but departments rarely feel the impact
- Amazon lays off hundreds in its Alexa division as it plows resources into AI
Recommendation
Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
More than 240 Rohingya refugees afloat off Indonesia after they are twice refused by residents
Prosecutors investigate Bulgarian soccer federation president in the wake of violent protests
2 transgender boys sue after University of Missouri halts gender-affirming care to minors
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt
Ex-federation president ruled unfit to hold job in Spanish soccer for 3 years after kissing player
Who is Bengals QB Jake Browning? What to know about Joe Burrow's backup in Cincinnati