String of robberies reported at 24-hour coffee shops in Pierce, King counties
At least five 24-hour coffee shops in Pierce and King counties reported robberies or attempted robberies Thursday night and early Friday morning, according to law enforcement and city officials.
The robberies occurred in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and SeaTac. Details in several of the incidents were similar. The businesses in SeaTac and Sumner were reportedly robbed by three people who arrived in a vehicle and demanded money while implying they were armed with a weapon. The Puyallup robberies involved just two suspects, police said. Several police departments said they were sharing information with other agencies to determine if the crimes are connected.
At least four of the robberies were reported at BigFoot Java stands, a drive-thru coffee chain. Tacoma police did not confirm exactly which coffee business was robbed there. A BigFoot Java stand is in the area where it happened.
No one was hurt.
The first incident was reported Thursday evening in Tacoma in the 1400 block of East 72nd Street, according to Tacoma Police Department. A spokesperson said it occurred at about 10:37 p.m., and the suspects fled in a vehicle. It’s unclear how many people were involved.
The second happened in Puyallup at a BigFoot Java at 1002 N. Meridian Ave., Puyallup Police Department said in a press release. Police said the barista reported that a dark-colored sedan parked north of the building, and a woman exited while a man stayed in the car. The woman reportedly approached the barista and demanded she empty the registers while implying she had a weapon by tapping the front pocket of her hoodie.
Meanwhile, police said the man in the car yelled that if the barista didn’t hand over the money then they would “shoot the place up.” According to the release, the barista refused to hand over cash and closed the window. The would-be robbers drove away.
Another attempted robbery occurred 25 minutes later at a BigFoot Java at 801 South Hill Park Drive, police said. Again, a man and woman in a sedan approached the stand and demanded cash, but they were refused, and the two left.
The fourth incident was reported in Sumner at a BigFoot Java on 136th Avenue, city spokesperson Carmen Palmer said. She said two females and a male robbed the business while implying they had a weapon. The robbers reportedly left with cash. Palmer said Sumner police were aware of the previous robberies in the region and went to the business as a proactive measure, but they were called to another incident before it occurred.
A fifth robbery occurred in SeaTac at a BigFoot Java on Military Road South, according to KOMO News. The TV station, citing information from the King County Sheriff’s Office, said it was robbed at about 1 a.m. by three people who implied they had a firearm and demanded money. The robbers reportedly left with cash before deputies arrived.
