The Los Angeles police are in search of a convenience store manager who allegedly assaulted an employee, sitting on her and obstructing her breathing, which resulted in her death.
Relatives identified the victim as 24-year-old Jessica McLaughlin and disclosed that they chose to remove her from life support after doctors informed them that she hadn’t demonstrated any brain activity since the incident on June 24.
According to KTLA’s report, police arrived at the 7-Eleven on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood around 2:15 p.m. on that day, discovering the young woman unconscious. Employees reported that McLaughlin and the manager had a disagreement that escalated into a physical altercation. Following the altercation, the manager attempted to delete surveillance footage in the store’s back before leaving the scene on her bicycle, prior to the police’s arrival.
McLaughlin’s brother, Sean McLaughlin, wrote in a GoFundMe that some of his sister’s coworkers tried to intervene but were also attacked. Once the manage fled, he said, they attempted CPR and called 911.
The manager threw a bottle at her, he said, then knocked her to the floor and straddled her, cutting off her oxygen.
Police said they found her critically injured.
“Doctors and detectives later confirmed what we already knew in our hearts — Jessica didn’t do anything wrong. She was the victim, and this attack should have never happened,” Sean McLaughlin wrote.
7-Eleven told KTLA that it was cooperating with law enforcement and that the manager had been fired.
“Our hearts are with those impacted during this difficult time,” a statement from the company reads. “The suspect has been terminated, and we continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement in their investigation.”
Police have not identified the manager or confirmed the family’s narrative of what happened, according to KTTV. They have also not said if she is facing charges.
