Arrest in espresso stand hold-ups
Published 10:56 pm Wednesday, September 5, 2007
MARYSVILLE — Police Wednesday arrested a man they believe is responsible for robbing a number of espresso stands in north Snohomish County since Aug. 18.
One stand, Cabooso Expresso in Smokey Point, was robbed by the same suspect four times.
A Stanwood man was arrested without incident after police, acting on tips, saw him driving in the 12000 block of 34th Avenue NE.
Tips flooded in after Marysville police handed out sketches of the suspect to all the espresso stands in town and to local news outlets, Marysville police Cmdr. Ralph Krusey said.
Arlington and Marysville police, along with Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies, joined forces to catch the robber.
In each of the hold-ups, a man walked up to the stand, asked for money, then ran away to a waiting car, Krusey said.
Police wouldn’t disclose exactly how much money was taken, but Krusey said it’s not a lot.
In each of the cases, the man hit drive-up espresso stands where baristas work in small, enclosed areas, about 10 feet long by 6 feet wide.
“You’re basically trapped in there. It has to be absolutely terrifying,” Krusey said.
After many of the robberies, officers have found the employees, many of whom are young women, crying, pale and faint.
Lyndsay Kelley, 25, a barista at Cabooso Expresso, was robbed twice once at gunpoint.
“The first time it happened I was, like, speechless. I didn’t know what was going on,” Kelley said. “I felt like the walls were closing in on me. Like I couldn’t breathe. I kind of went numb.” The second time it just made her angry.
Co-worker Brandi Lynn, 18, said she was robbed in much the same way.
“He said, ‘I have a gun. I don’t want to hurt you. Give me your money,’ ” she said. “I didn’t really process the fact that I got robbed until after I called the cops. Then I started shaking.”
On Wednesday, boyfriends sat watch while their girlfriends worked inside.
Police also put extra patrols on the street and handed out two sketches in hopes someone would recognize the suspect. They also spoke with business owners about what baristas should do if they are robbed, Krusey said.
When Espresso Z to B near Lakewood High School was robbed on Aug. 29, Leaha Peterson, 27, at first thought the man was joking when he walked up to the window and said he wanted money.
The man looked nervous, Peterson said. She thought he was going to ask her for a date.
” ‘No, I’m serious. I’m here to rob you,’ ” she remembers him saying.
Since the robbery, the store has put in a panic button and customers are helping to keep an eye on her.
While a reporter interviewed Peterson on Wednesday during lunch hour, one customer drove up to the drive-through not to order coffee but to make sure everything was OK.
“It’s a great job. I’ve worked here on and off for 10 years,” Peterson said. “Everyone is so nice.”
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
