Suspect in South Sound espresso stand robberies arrested

KOMO-TV STAFF

A man suspected in a string of coffee stand robberies has been arrested.

Pierce County Det. Ed Troyer said detectives, following a tip, tracked down the suspect's car and pulled him over at approximately 9:30 p.m. The two people who were riding in the car were both taken in for questioning, and the suspect was placed under arrest.

The unidentified man is suspected in a a dozen robberies that have occurred in the area in recent months, most recently late Thursday morning.

Troyer said the robber had a gun and was wearing a red bandana. The robber was not successful at the first location, but was at the second one, Troyer said.

A dozen similar robberies that have occurred around the South Sound area since March, eight of which have occurred in the past two weeks. Café Elite in Fircrest was hit on Wednesday, and the incident was captured on surveillance tape.

The footage shows just as the stand was opening at 5 a.m., a man in a hooded sweatshirt and mask race up to and climb through the stand's window, gun drawn, as the barista set the tip jar outside the window.

Inside, video shows the robber stuffing cash from the register into a sack. Then, the robber points the gun at the barista as he yells at her to get into the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, the barista said the robber pulled electrical tape out of his bag and tied her up.

Moments later, the lights go out and the robber goes back to the register. At one point he makes a mistake and takes off his bandana, giving the camera a brief glimpse of his face.

As he walks out a side door, an outdoor camera captured him pulling down his hood, revealing a bald head.

The stand's owner says the barista was tied up in the bathroom for about five minutes, and when she heard the robber leave, she untied herself and ran to a nearby restaurant to call 911.

In some of the robberies, the robber has stolen the barista's car, driven it a few blocks away and ditched it. Police say it shows these are calculated crimes; they think the robber is parking his car somewhere else so it's not caught on camera and using the barista's car to get back to his own.