VIDEO: Man Attempted to Snatch, Abduct Barista at Drive-Thru Window

A man in Auburn, WA has been taken into police custody after surveillance footage showed him trying to snatch and abduct a barista through a drive-thru window.

The suspect, whose name hasn’t been released, was arrested at his home on Tuesday, CBS News reported. His arrest came after “overwhelming support from the community,” in response to surveillance footage police released showing the man attempting to abduct the barista just after 5 a.m. on Monday.

The video showed a man in a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck grabbing an employee’s wrist and trying to use a looped zip-tie device as the barista handed him back the money. The video shows the barista was able to break free as the man dropped the money and sped off.

Police released the footage on Tuesday and noted the driver had a tattoo that appeared to read “CHEVROLET.”

UPDATE: After overwhelming support from the community, APD has arrested a suspect in this case. https://t.co/OG4z7a5m0T

— Auburn WA Police Dept (@AuburnWAPolice) January 17, 2023

Police were able to locate the suspect by Tuesday, following help from the community. He was arrested about 14 hours after police released the surveillance footage, as noted by KCRA.

Authorities linked the suspect to the crime after finding evidence inside his vehicle.

“Multiple people called in saying they knew the person and were able to give a name,” Auburn police spokesperson Kolby Crossley told ABC News.

“Obviously we had such great evidence,” he added, noting the “Chevrolet” tattoo and side profile of the suspect that were captured in the surveillance footage.

The barista was working alone at the time of the attack, KIRO-TV reports.

“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 said. “But this barista did an awesome job of protecting herself and fighting this person off.”

An investigation is underway to determine if the suspect and victim had any prior history.