A 24-year-old woman who was allegedly beaten by a manager at the 7-Eleven in Hollywood where they both worked died Wednesday.
Jessica McLaughlin was injured around 2:10 p.m. on June 24 at the convenience store in the 5700 block of Melrose Avenue, near Larchmont Boulevard, according to the GoFundMe page created by a brother of the victim.
Officers responding to a report of a battery found McLaughlin had been in an argument with another woman that turned violent, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
McLaughlin was in critical condition when she was taken to a hospital, LAPD Officer Kevin Terzes said.
The brother, Sean McLaughlin, wrote on the GoFundMe page that his sister “walked into work expecting a normal day, but instead, she was violently and senselessly attacked by one of her managers.”
“She held her down, sat on top of her, and didn’t let her breathe,” he alleged. “While some coworkers tried to help and stop it, they were attacked too. When she finally got free, she collapsed. She wasn’t breathing.”
Coworkers performed CPR and called for help, according to the brother, who wrote that the manager allegedly “ran to the back room to try and delete the security footage, and then fled the scene on her bike.”
“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,” the brother wrote.
The woman’s family said doctors at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital told them she was brain dead and would be removed her from life support.
There was no word on the status of the accused manager.
As of Wednesday evening, $29,972 had been raised from 618 donations toward a $50,000 goal to cover funeral and interment services planned for July 10, according to the family.
The GoFundMe page is at www.gofundme.com/f/tragic-loss-help-give-jessica-a-beautiful-goodbye.
Anyone with information regarding the case was urged to call Operation West Bureau Homicide detectives at 213-473-9470. Calls during non-business hours or weekends should be made to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers or visit lacrimestoppers.org.