Reward offered in espresso stand robbery
MARYSVILLE, Wash. -- The owner of the local espresso stand that was robbed earlier this week is putting up his own money in hopes of catching the man who terrified his barista and cleaning out the register.
Rachel Dainard was in the process of closing up shop when a man in his late teens or early 20s robbed the stand in the 7500 block of 108th street NE around 7 p.m. Monday.
"(I) tried to close the door a little bit and that was when he was all over me," she said, "standing right there with the knife, 'don't move. I'll kill you.'"
The man started hitting her. She didn't even realize he had gloves on until she felt the latex hit her face.
"I dropped the money all over the floor and it was scattered. So he was on the floor, trying to pick it up," said Dainard.
A punch to the back of her head knocked Dainard to the floor. The thief grabbed the phone, unplugged the security camera and even made the barista take her clothes off, not to touch her but to make sure she wouldn't try to leave.
The shop's windows had already been boarded up for closing. Dainard was stuck in the tiny space, out of view and at the mercy of a man armed with a knife.
"I knew I was in trouble," she said. "I didn't know what to do because I was stuck in here, trapped in the stand. So I was just going to do what he wanted to do, give him the money because I just wanted him out of here. I was scared to death."
The thief cleaned out the cash register and took off with the store's cash, Dainard's purse and her car. The barista was left inside the coffee stand, naked with a bloody lip but amazed she had survived.
But Dainard doesn't believe the incident is behind her yet.
"I have been really scared even at home because I didn't know if he had my driver's license and everything, my car," she said. "The creep needs to be caught. I don't want it to happen to anyone else."
Dainard's boss is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the thief.
Dainard described the thief as a white teen or adult between 17 to 24 years old who stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and has light brown hair. He was said to be wearing a white T-shirt, cargo shorts, a dark-blue baseball cap and stud earrings at the time of the robbery.
Anyone with information about Monday night's robbery or the suspect is asked to call the Sheriff's Office tip line at 425-388-3845.
Rachel Dainard was in the process of closing up shop when a man in his late teens or early 20s robbed the stand in the 7500 block of 108th street NE around 7 p.m. Monday.
"(I) tried to close the door a little bit and that was when he was all over me," she said, "standing right there with the knife, 'don't move. I'll kill you.'"
The man started hitting her. She didn't even realize he had gloves on until she felt the latex hit her face.
"I dropped the money all over the floor and it was scattered. So he was on the floor, trying to pick it up," said Dainard.
A punch to the back of her head knocked Dainard to the floor. The thief grabbed the phone, unplugged the security camera and even made the barista take her clothes off, not to touch her but to make sure she wouldn't try to leave.
The shop's windows had already been boarded up for closing. Dainard was stuck in the tiny space, out of view and at the mercy of a man armed with a knife.
"I knew I was in trouble," she said. "I didn't know what to do because I was stuck in here, trapped in the stand. So I was just going to do what he wanted to do, give him the money because I just wanted him out of here. I was scared to death."
The thief cleaned out the cash register and took off with the store's cash, Dainard's purse and her car. The barista was left inside the coffee stand, naked with a bloody lip but amazed she had survived.
But Dainard doesn't believe the incident is behind her yet.
"I have been really scared even at home because I didn't know if he had my driver's license and everything, my car," she said. "The creep needs to be caught. I don't want it to happen to anyone else."
Dainard's boss is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the thief.
Dainard described the thief as a white teen or adult between 17 to 24 years old who stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and has light brown hair. He was said to be wearing a white T-shirt, cargo shorts, a dark-blue baseball cap and stud earrings at the time of the robbery.
Anyone with information about Monday night's robbery or the suspect is asked to call the Sheriff's Office tip line at 425-388-3845.