Surveillance footage from a coffee shop in the Seattle metro area shows a man attempting to kidnap a barista with a zip tie.
A Washington state man was arrested after a chilling video showed the attempted abduction of a barista through a drive-thru window.
Matthew William Darnell, 38, is accused of one count of kidnapping in the second degree, according to the Auburn Police Department. He was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon and a judge in King County found probable cause to support the charge against him, police said in a news release.
The incident occurred about 5 a.m. Monday at a coffee shop in Auburn, a suburb about 25 miles south of downtown Seattle.
In surveillance footage, the barista can be seen reaching out the window and handing a small stack of dollars to a man with what appears to be a Chevrolet tattoo on his left arm who is in a dark-colored SUV.
The man then grabs the barista with one arm, clasping his left hand around her right wrist while trying to constrain her with what looks like a black zip tie using his right hand. The woman shrugs off her attacker and escapes back inside the window.
The man starts up his SUV, makes another motion with his left hand, drops several bills on the ground, and drives off.
A day after posting footage of the incident on social media, police announced an arrest in the case.
The Auburn Police Department is asking for any information to help identify a suspect that attempted to abduct a barista during the early morning hours of 1/16/2023. pic.twitter.com/w8qzJQs5ZA
— Auburn WA Police Dept (@AuburnWAPolice) January 17, 2023
Auburn police spokesman Kolby Crossley said the suspect was arrested yesterday at his home in Auburn and police found evidence linking him to the crime in a quick search of his pickup truck.
According to court records reviewed by Law&Crime, the defendant is currently being detained in the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle.
[image via screengrab/Auburn Police Department]
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