Teen, mother, stepfather & aunt arrested following brawl at Burrillville BBQ

BURRILLVILLE – A 18-year-old Burrillville man, along with his mother, stepfather and aunt, are all facing charges following a family BBQ that reportedly turned into a physical fight over the cost of nips purchased for underage drinkers.

Alyssa Lightbown, 35, of Burrillville was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct following the incident and her sister, Ashley Lightbown, 37, of Whitinsville, Mass., was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and furnishing alcoholic beverages to those underage.

Alyssa’s 18-year-old son, meanwhile, was charged with felony assault, simple assault, domestic violence and weapons other than firearms, and his stepfather, Ryan Burrill, was charged with assault and disorderly conduct.

According to the arrest reports, police responded to a residence on Victory Highway around 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 7 for a report of an assault involving a knife. A female party reportedly told police that her son was attempting to stab her boyfriend.

The couple later told responding officers that they had invited the son and his girlfriend, a 17-year-old from Uxbridge, Mass., over for dinner. Alyssa said her son was attempting to get someone to buy him alcohol, but did not have enough money, and that she told him he shouldn’t be drinking anyway as he was underage. She said the issue led to a physical altercation, with her son as the aggressor, and that the girlfriend also got involved, grabbing her by the hair and pulling out chunks before hitting her in the face. Officers report observing scratches on Alyssa’s face and swelling consistent with the statement.

The girlfriend and her mother were later called to police headquarters where the 17-year-old gave her account of the incident, saying that her boyfriend’s aunt, Ashley, had supplied the young couple with alcohol, and that an argument began over how much money she tried to charge them. The teen said her boyfriend’s mother Alyssa intervened and told her she had to leave before then striking her in the face.

The girl said she struck back and ended up on the ground in a mutual combat situation, during which the aunt, Ashley kicked her in the back. Burrill, meanwhile, began fighting with the 18-year-old son.

The Uxbridge teen showed police video taken on her phone, along with text messages confirming that Ashley would buy them 1-2 sleeves of 99 brand nips, and a corresponding Venmo transaction. The teen showed police red marks and scratches on her face from the assault, and said she wished to pursue charges against the sisters.

All four adult parties are due back in court in the coming weeks and months.