Protesters congregated outside a McDonald’s in Harbor City over the weekend, demanding that the woman responsible for a recent assault on a teenager step forward.
On September 6th, 13-year-old Kassidy Jones experienced a disturbing incident at the fast-food establishment, situated in the 1700 block of Lomita Boulevard. According to Jones, she was exiting the restroom when an unprovoked attack occurred. The assailant initiated the confrontation after making eye contact with Jones, using profanity and even declaring, “I fight kids.”
Disturbing video footage captured the assailant striking the teenager’s face, grabbing her by the hair, and forcefully throwing her to the ground. A McDonald’s employee intervened, pulling the assailant away, but Jones suffered facial cuts and bruises in the altercation.
Angelina Gray, Jones’ mother, expressed her daughter’s fear and disbelief that no one within the McDonald’s intervened during the incident. She emphasized the absence of any support or intervention from the patrons.
Community members, along with civil rights activist Najee Ali, Director of Project Islamic Hope, joined Jones’ family outside the restaurant on Saturday. Their collective demand was for the immediate arrest of the assailant and the filing of criminal charges against McDonald’s employees who, they argue, had a legal obligation to intervene or contact the police to prevent the assault.
They cited AB 1422, known as The Sherrice Iverson Law, which criminalizes the failure of adults to aid or notify the authorities when a child is subjected to severe physical abuse or sexual assault.
As of the latest update, the Los Angeles Police Department had no information on the identity of the woman responsible for the attack. However, it is expected that once she is apprehended, she will face charges related to child abuse and battery.