Inset, clockwise from top left: Aniyah Gooch, Dajah Gooch, Armoniah Malone, Darrique Jackson. (Hamilton County Jail). Background: The Qdoba in Indiana where the four allegedly attacked a pregnant woman.
Four women were arrested in Indiana this week for attacking a pregnant Qdoba employee, allegedly storming behind the counter of the restaurant and repeatedly trying to stab her in the stomach in a dispute over a man.
Aniyah Gooch, the alleged ringleader of the attack, and Dajah Gooch are each charged with battery by means of a deadly weapon and battery resulting in injury to a pregnant woman, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Co-defendants Armoniah Malone and Darrique Jackson are facing one count each of battery resulting in injury to a pregnant woman.
Prosecutors contend the violence was fueled by a domestic dispute that escalated into a stabbing inside the Qdoba in the 8200 block of E. 96th Street in Fishers, Indiana, which is about 15 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
Officers with the Fishers Police Department responded to the restaurant at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday regarding a fight. Police told Indianapolis CW affiliate WISH that Aniyah Gooch and the victim began arguing about a man. The man was reportedly dating one of the women and had previously dated the other, though it was not immediately clear which woman was his girlfriend and which was his ex-girlfriend.
The four suspects reportedly entered the business and confronted the victim in a clash that quickly turned physical.
"She was mad at me because I was having his kid, and I guess she couldn't have the kids," the victim said of Aniyah Gooch in an interview with Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN.
The victim, who did not want to be identified, said that she and Aniyah Gooch had spoken earlier in the day regarding the man. According to the victim, when the group arrived at the restaurant Sunday evening, they threatened other staff members to clear a path.
"They told the team members they would smack the f— out of them and beat the f— out of them if they didn't move out of the way," she told the station. "So, they push them and one girl came up. We was fighting for at least 20 seconds, and that's when they start jumping me."
During the altercation, the victim said two of her attackers pulled out knives and went after her unborn child.
"They were trying to stab me in my stomach," she said. "I had to protect myself, so I got like stab wounds all on my hands."
Prosecutors allege that the Gooches were the defendants who used knives during the assault.
In court on Monday, deputy prosecutor Toula Guedel said the situation continued to escalate even after the physical attack, noting that the suspects allegedly documented the incident online.
"There is information in the probable cause affidavit that the defendant was then livestreaming on social media afterward that 'the baby is dead,'" Guedel said, per WXIN.
Following the attack, all four suspects were taken to the Hamilton County Jail. During their initial appearance on Monday, the defendants all entered pleas of not guilty.
Bond for Aniyah and Dajah Gooch was set at $50,000 each. Darrique Jackson is being held on a $10,000 bond, while Armoniah Malone is being held on a $7,500 bond, records show.
It was not immediately clear when the women were due to appear in court again.
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