Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Police: McDonald's Beating Victims Had Drunken Lovers' Quarrel
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 11, 2012
Modified Jan 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
left
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 11, 2012
Modified Jan 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
In December, all charges were dropped against the McDonald's cashier who used a metal rod to beat two customers who slapped him and recklessly jumped over the counter at the West Village location in October. While 31-year-old Rayon McIntosh was off the hook, a jury voted to indict Denise Darbeau and Rachel Edwards, the two women who jumped over the counter, on burglary charges. Now, police have testified that the two women were engaged in a drunken lovers' quarrel the night of the incident: "Shut the f--- up, you b----. You're not even hurt. I'm bleeding from the head," Darbeau said to Edwards after she complained about Darbeau not loving her.
After the incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on October 12th, the two women started arguing in front of police. "Why did this happen? Why don't you love me the way I love you?" Edwards said, according to the papers. "My back hurts, I'm not faking this." Darbeau responded harshly, yelling at her that Edwards had caused the trouble with her drinking. Prior to the McDonald's confrontation, the two women had knocked back "five shots" of tequila at the Fat Black Pussycat, just steps away from the eatery, according to Edwards testimony.
The fight started when Darbeau tried to pay for their food with a $50 bill; that worker wanted to check the authenticity, as was store policy. The two women allegedly taunted McIntosh, who brought the order to the counter, calling him a "bitch ass n--ga," and saying "your mother's a bitch." McIntosh said in an interview that Darbeau spat at him, threatened to "cut me up," came across the counter and slapped him. When Edwards jumped across to join in, McIntosh says instinct kicked in: "I was being attacked by aggressive people I didn't know," said McIntosh. "I was just defending myself. They came in and went crazy on me." You can see the rest of the incident play out in the video below:
According to DNAInfo, Edwards explained to police at the scene about the outburst: "She's really upset right now. She really loves me. That is my wife." According to the Post, Darbeau was increasingly agitated and hostile to police officers at the scene, screaming at EMT workers, "You bitch ass n--- s! I will wash you. I will wash you n----s. I'm good. I'm good. I just want to go home. Don't touch me. You n----s is p----," she adds, making a reference to the female anatomy. She also added, "If I was white you wouldn't be arresting me. If this was one of your family members, you wouldn't be doing this. You're doing this because I'm black. You cracker motherf----ers."
This was Edwards statement about the incident: "I don't remember anything that happened inside of the McDonalds. I just remember being behind the counter and being hit by the employee behind the counter. I was trying to block being hit with my arm and was hiding underneath the counter. I don't remember how I got behind the counter."
The women's attorney, Harold Baker, maintains that they were the victims and that McDonald’s employees provoked the dispute. He suggested that employees had hurled anti-gay epithets at the couple: "The video does not have everything in it," Baker insisted. He added, "I wouldn't characterize them as tough girls. I think they are misunderstood."
Tagged
beating assault
burglary
cashier
lovers quarrels
manhattan
mcdonald's
metal rod
rayon mcintosh
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .