Barista’s attempted abduction from Washington drive-thru caught on video

A man suspected of attempting to abduct a barista while she worked at a drive-thru window in Washington state has been arrested, police announced Tuesday.

Chilling surveillance video shows a man in a truck pulling up to get his order at a coffee shop in Auburn just after 5 a.m. on Monday. The exchange at the window seems normal at first, with the driver handing cash over to the barista. He then suddenly grabs her wrist as she attempts to hand him change and tries “to drag the victim through the window using a looped ziptie device,” police said.

The coffee shop worker managed to fight off her would-be kidnapper, prompting him to speed away from the business located approximately 30 minutes south of Seattle.

The barista was working alone at the time of the incident, Auburn Police Department spokesperson Kolby Crossley 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,” Crossley told KIRO 7. “But this barista did an awesome job of protecting herself and fighting this person off.”

In wake of the incident, Auburn police shared the security video on Twitter and asked the community to help identify a suspect. They said they were searching for a man with a unique “Chevrolet” tattoo and who is likely driving a pickup truck.

Less than 24 hours later, officers revealed they had arrested a suspect in connection with the incident and thanked citizens for their “overwhelming support.”