Suspect in Brutal Beating of Teen Girl Captured on Video Inside Los Angeles McDonald’s Arrested

A suspect has been arrested in the brutal beating of a 13-year-old girl inside a Los Angeles-area McDonald’s earlier this month, which was captured on harrowing video.

Ariana Lauifi, 31, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of felony child abuse stemming from the Sept. 6 incident inside a McDonald’s in Harbor City, a neighborhood in southern Los Angeles, LAPD said in a news release.

The victim, 13-year-old Kassidy Jones, previously told local news station FOX 11 that she and her friends stopped by the restaurant while walking home from school when Lauifi allegedly cornered and attacked the girl.

In the released video, the suspect appears to be seen pushing the teenager onto the ground before jumping atop her, grabbing her by the hair and punching her in the face.

“We were horrified to learn about this violent attack, and our thoughts are with Kassidy and her family," Tawnie Blade, the owner and operator of the McDonald's where the incident occurred, previously said in a statement to The Messenger. "Employees called police when the fight began, and we’re continuing to work closely with local law enforcement to help with their investigation.”

Prior to the attack, Kassidy told FOX 11 the suspect allegedly said she “fights kids” and allegedly threatened to fight her for looking at her. The teenager said she did not recognize the suspect, and no one intervened to stop the attack, except for a man who was believed to be with the suspect.

Kassidy’s mother, Angelina Gray, told the news outlet she called the police and took her daughter to the hospital to treat her bruised and swollen face.

"I just couldn't believe another human being would do this," Gray said. 

Lauifi is currently being held on $100,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles County jail records.

Her first court date is not clear.