Livonia restaurant manager attacked over soda, suspect charged

LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) – A restaurant manager was beaten over a glass of lemonade at a seafood restaurant chain in Livonia last month.

Susan Rains was attacked because a customer allegedly didn’t want to pay for his drinks.

“He first spilled the drink on me and then slammed it on the side of my head,” Rains said. “Then he just punched me in the eye and I fell to the ground.”

The incident occurred in early April. Rains suffered a concussion, a black eye and had to have staples on his head.

“I’ve been to two hospitals and too many doctors, counselors, etc. that I can’t even count,” she said.

FOX 2 is not naming the restaurant at Rains’ request. She remains employed by the restaurant chain.

But according to her, two customers complained about their steak, so Rains took the food off the bill and apologized profusely.

She left $6 worth of drinks on the bill, but customers crumbled the receipt and threw it at her. The suspect, Deshaun Kelly, was with the two customers and intervened.

“We were on equal terms. Literally at eye level and at eye level. And he calls me all kinds of nasty, horrible names,” Rains said. The attack “was so quick; no one could have stopped him.”

The couple and Kelley quickly left, leaving the manager unconscious in the restaurant.

“I was told that they just walked around me like I was a piece of trash,” Rains said.

The incident was caught on camera. Facial recognition helped Livonia police arrest Kelly a week later. He was accused of assault.

“We always want to be on the customer’s side, but the customer can’t be pushy and rude and mean and condescending – and just say, ‘I’m not paying my bill because I don’t want to.’ “I’m paying my bill,” Rains said.

The manager will return to work next Monday while continuing therapy for her mental health.

“Am I ready to go back to work? No, but I have to,” Rains said.

Kelly was given a $50,000 bond.

This is the second time Kelly has been in trouble with the law. He had already pleaded guilty to armed robbery in 2015.