A pre-dawn scuffle at an Elmont McDonald's turned violent Monday when a 59-year-old man who stepped in to help ended up getting struck with a hammer, according to Nassau County police. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Javier Antonio Lopez of Floral Park, now faces multiple charges after the altercation sent two people to the hospital.
According to the Nassau County Police Department, the Fifth Squad reported the arrest of the Floral Park man after the assault occurred in Elmont on Monday, October 5, 2026. Patch reports that the incident took place at 6:34 a.m. at a McDonald's on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont.
Police say Lopez first got into a physical altercation with an 18-year-old man. That's when the 59-year-old man intervened, according to police, only to have Lopez allegedly turn on him, striking him multiple times with a hammer and leaving him with injuries to his head and hand, per Daily Voice.
Both Victims Hospitalized, Suspect Taken Into Custody
Both the 18-year-old and the 59-year-old were transported to a local area hospital, police said, and both sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Lopez was placed under arrest without further incident, the station's report notes.
Lopez is now charged with second-degree assault, third-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The same charges were confirmed in the department's public alert, which also notes that the case was handled by the Fifth Squad.
Arraignment Set for Hempstead Courthouse
Lopez was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at First District Court, located at 99 Main Street in Hempstead, according to police. No additional details on his attorney, plea or bail status have been released.
