18 January 2023 , 14:32
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A woman working at a drive-through cafe can be seen on CCTV narrowly escaping what appears to be a kidnapping after she was grabbed.
A video released from the scene shows a male customer in a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, having pulled in at the cafe, located in Auburn, Washington state, US, early in the morning of Monday, January 16.
The man is seen clasping the barista's arm as she hands him the change and pulling it towards his car.
Thankfully, within seconds, the woman pulls her hand back managing to escape, and slams the drive-through window closed. The man then drops the money and drives away.
During the struggle, the driver also appears to place a zip tie around the woman's wrist.
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The unknown suspect had a tattoo that looks like reading 'Chevrolet' on his left arm (Auburn WA Police Dept)The owner of the coffee shop told KOMO News her entire staff is shaken up following the terrifying incident, and that the woman has worked at the coffee shop for 15 years.
Auburn Police Department asked the public for information in order to identify the suspect, and, after what they said was "overwhelming support from the community", the suspect was located and arrested.
A unique tattoo on his left arm that seems to read 'Chevrolet' was what helped the authorities identify him, police said.
Prior to the arrest, a spokesperson for Auburn PD had told Fox13: "By the video you can tell he put some thought into this plan that he was conducting, obviously he had the zip tie, he grabbed the arm.
"So it's very concerning, it's very alarming, and it's something that we're trying to figure out quick so we can get this guy into custody so he's not a threat to the community."
The man can be seen on surveillance footage grasping the employees hand as she hand him cash (Auburn WA Police Dept)The barista suffered minor cuts, according to the police spokesperson. She was working alone at the time of the incident, KIRO-TV reported.
The police spokesperson commented that she was "vulnerable" at the time.
He said: "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."
The spokesperson revealed that the suspect was arrested at his home in Auburn, and that police found evidence linking him to the incident.
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His name and the charges he faces have not been confirmed.