You’ve probably seen viral videos of people getting into arguments at fast food establishments, but this incident took an unfortunate turn. A 16-year-old girl was fatally stabbed outside a McDonald’s in Washington, D.C. Authorities believe that the victim, identified as Naima Liggon of Maryland, and another girl were dining together at the 24-hour McDonald’s when they got into a heated altercation about the dipping sauces they received with their meals.
According to testimony from a detective who investigated the crime, the two girls entered the fast food chain together and ordered food after traveling from Maryland to attend a party. They were traveling with two other teenagers. The pair left the restaurant with their food and got into a car together – and that’s when things took a dark turn. Authorities believe Liggon and the other girl, who is also 16-years-old, began feuding over the sauces they got. That’s when the dispute rapidly escalated and the victim was stabbed.
Police were called to a local hospital at 2:10 in the morning after the teenager came in after being stabbed. Despite being under the care of medical professionals, Liggon succumbed to her injuries. The alleged attacker was then arrested and charged with “second degree murder murder while armed, assault with intent to kill, aggravated assault, felony assault and carrying a dangerous weapon.” The teenage suspect was found with the murder weapon. “At the time of her arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of a knife,” D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department confirmed in a statement. The accused minor pleaded “not involved,” which is the same as pleading “not guilty” for juvenile offenders. Her lawyer said that her actions were an act of self-defense.
Detective Brendan Jasper testified that Liggon had been stabbed with a 7.5-inch pocket knife after arguing with a group of girls over sweet-and-sour sauce. During their investigation, police retrieved security footage that showed Liggon and another girl hitting the girl who would eventually be arrested as they tried to get inside the car. The teen suspect reportedly “lunged” at the victim with a knife and stabbed her in the chest and abdomen.
Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur made it a point to note that condiments were the cause of the fight when she ruled to hold the teenage attacker at a “secure facility” until the date of her hearing. She told the court, “At the end of the day, someone is dead over a dispute over sauce,”before stating her decision on where to put the knife-wielding teen in custody.
There has been a rise in underage killings in D.C. this year, with Liggon being the 13th reported casualty. In an effort to combat the rampant wave of crime, a youth curfew will be put into effect in select parts of Washington. Under the new curfew policy, minors under the age of 16 must remain inside from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m on weekdays. The curfew extends till midnight on weekends. Plans for the youth curfew were already underway prior to Liggons fatal stabbing over McDonald’s sauce.
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