Mentally challenged Country’s employee robbed, beaten months after mom killed at party

A mentally challenged man who lost his mother to gun violence in January was robbed and beaten Wednesday morning in front of his place of employment.

Lamar Johnson, a busboy at the Country’s Barbecue on Broadway, was walking to work at about 3:50 a.m. when the incident occurred.

Griff Morpeth, co-owner of the Country’s Barbecue joint, said Johnson was beaten with a stick, which resulted in lacerations to his head and a dislocated wrist. He was transported to an emergency room and then released.

“These two guys caught him outside and roughed him up pretty bad, took his backpack,” which had a DVD player, Morpeth said. “Nothing of huge value was taken - but I’m sure it was valuable to Lamar.

“...It was more a case of two guys beating up a mentally handicapped guy,’ he said. “I think it was more about violence than a robbery.”

Police were dispatched to the restaurant at about 3:50 a.m. in reference to a possible robbery, according to a Columbus Police Department case report.

Police arrested Brian Kitchens, 44, and Javon George Greene,19, in connection with the incident.

Kitchens was arrested at 5:20 a.m. Wednesday on Broadway, and Green was arrested at the Russell County jail at 9:57 a.m., according to jail records.

Kitchens, of Lumpkin, Ga., was charged with robbery, battery with visible harm and giving police a false name. His bonds were set at $500 on the battery and $250 on the false information count, the records show.

Green, of Phenix City, was booked into the Muscogee County Jail at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday. He also is charged with robbery, and with violating probation.

Both he and Kitchens are being held without bond on their robbery charges.

Kitchens had a preliminary hearing in Columbus Recorder's Court at 8 a.m. Thursday. Green's hearing is set for 8 a.m. Friday.

Johnson’s mother, Nancy, was the city’s first homicide victim of 2018, according to Morpeth. The 63-year-old woman was killed and her 44-year-old daughter was injured Jan. 1 during a shooting at a New Year’s party in the 2900 block of Colorado Street. Morpeth said Johnson has been living with an aunt who is taking care of him.

Morpeth said he hired Johnson - a mentally challenged man with a stuttering problem - through New Horizons about 20 years ago.

“He’s a great employee,” Morpeth said. “Customers know him, they like him. And, of course, all the employees at Country’s love him. They’ve known him for years.

“We always worry about him if he doesn’t show up or anything,” he said. “We try to look after him if he’s on any medicines or anything.”

Morpeth said Johnson usually arrives at work at about 3 a.m. in the morning to watch TV and drink coffee while the dessert chef bakes pies. He said Johnson was in front of the restaurant when the attack occurred. The dessert chef found him at the door beaten and distraught.

They called police and Johnson pointed out the suspects on the 14th Street pedestrian bridge, Morpeth said.

“Of course he’s sad, and he’s just angry too,” he said. “He wants to know why are people doing this to me. He just doesn’t understand it.”

Morpeth said it’s hard to comprehend why anyone would want to harm Johnson.

“It hurts you to know that people don’t care, that they’d just attack somebody that’s weak like that,” he said. “... I know there are people out there like that, but it’s hard to face when you actually see it.”

This story was originally published April 5, 2018 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Mentally challenged Country’s employee robbed, beaten months after mom killed at party."