Current:Home > InvestPolice arrest suspect weeks after brutal attack of 13-year-old at a McDonald's in Los Angeles -Excel Money Vision
Police arrest suspect weeks after brutal attack of 13-year-old at a McDonald's in Los Angeles
View
Date:2025-04-14 01:38:44
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! (86857)
Related
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Need a book club book? These unforgettable titles are sure to spark discussion and debate
- Vest Tops Are Everywhere Right Now, Shop the Trend
- Former mayor of South Dakota town charged in shooting deaths of 3 men
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Pope apologizes after being quoted using vulgar term about gay men in talk about ban on gay priests
- Paris Hilton Reacts to Fan Concerns Over Son Phoenix's Backwards Life Jacket
- Ashley White died patrolling alongside Special Forces in Afghanistan. The U.S. Army veteran was a pioneer for women soldiers.
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- California evangelical seminary ponders changes that would make it more welcoming to LGBTQ students
Ranking
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- National Hamburger Day 2024: Free food at Burger King, deals at Wendy's, Arby's and more
- Harvey Weinstein to appear before judge in same courthouse where Trump is on trial
- Paris Hilton Reacts to Fan Concerns Over Son Phoenix's Backwards Life Jacket
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- NASA discovers potentially habitable exoplanet 40 light years from Earth
- American arrested in Turks and Caicos over 9 mm ammo found in bag sentenced to time served and $9,000 fine
- Rick Carlisle shares story about how Bill Walton secured all-access Grateful Dead passes
Recommendation
Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
How Blac Chyna and Boyfriend Derrick Milano Celebrated Their First Anniversary
Dance Moms' Kelly Hyland Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Bear put down after it entered a cabin and attacked a 15-year-old boy in Arizona
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
Horoscopes Today, May 27, 2024
Best Buy is the most impersonated company by scammers, FTC says
Nikki Reed Provides a Rare Look at Her and Ian Somerhalder’s Life on the Farm With Their 2 Kids