Police in Washington have arrested a man who was caught on surveillance video as he attempted to kidnap a barista by pulling her through a drive-thru window.
The Auburn, Wash., police department shared video of the botched abduction on Twitter, which occurred at a Beankini Espresso location shortly after 5 a.m. on Monday.
In the footage, the attacker, who hasn’t been publicly identified, is seen pulling up to the drive-thru window in a dark-coloured Chevy Silverado to pay for his order. When the barista extends her arm out of the store window to give the driver cash, the man grabs the employee’s wrist and yanks her forward.
She is able to wiggle free from his grasp, but not before the man attempts to secure her wrists with what police called a “looped zip-tie device.”
When the barista closes the drive-thru window, the assailant taps on the glass before he speeds off.
Police said they were searching for a suspect with a “Chevrolet” tattoo on his left forearm, and authorities confirmed he was arrested on Tuesday after “overwhelming support from the community.”
Auburn Police Department spokesperson Kolby Crossley said the barista was working alone at the time of the attack.
“They are in vulnerable positions because they’re usually controlling those spots by themselves at early hours in the morning when it’s dark outside. But this barista did an awesome job of protecting herself and fighting this person off,” said Crossley, as per local news outlet KIRO 7.
Crossley said police will release more information about the incident in the coming days.
https://globalnews.ca/news/9418602/man-arrested-kidnap-attempt-drive-thru-barista-washington/