SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man accused of trying to kidnap a barista at a coffee stand off Highway 99 shortly after noon Wednesday.
Deputies said a man driving an orange Mazda pulled up to the coffee stand and pulled out a gun demanding the barista get in his car. She did not and called 911. Deputies said the suspect took off and dumped the vehicle at a nearby apartment complex. The sheriff’s office said deputies found the car with a gun inside. K-9s searched for the suspect who is still on the run.
Samiyah Toppin works at a coffee stand directly across the highway and saw deputies respond.
“It's in broad daylight and you can't ever hear. It's not like an alarm that they can pull. I feel like there should be more safety precautions so we can avoid these things,” Toppin said.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. In January, a man pleaded not guilty after being charged with the attempted kidnapping of a barista in Auburn. That case puts baristas on alert.
“Oh like that could never happen," said Toppin. "I've already done this before, but when you see things actually physically happening then you're more likely to believe it."
Toppin said safety protocols and training need to be the top priority.
“A lot of young girls start doing this. I think they should give them a safety precaution like a book or even an alarm they can pull," Toppin said. "You’re not going to know until this happens to you and I hope more stands can talk this through with their girls."
This latest case comes on top of heightened safety concerns after multiple coffee stands across King and Pierce Counties have been targeted by armed robbers in the last two weeks.
Toppin said you have to stay conscious of your surroundings.
“I just pay attention to everything that's going on around me. I pay attention to the customers and see what's going on in the car.”