Couple claims they were drugged, robbed on first date
SEATTLE -- A couple claims they were drugged, attacked and robbed, possibly by a University District bartender, during their first date last weekend.
After eating and drinking in the University Village last Friday night, the couple, who had met a week earlier, ended up at a bar in the 1300 block of Northeast 43rd Street to continue drinking.
The victim told officers he and his date drank a lot of alcohol. But, he didn't think it was enough to cause the several-hour blackout that followed because the next thing he remembers is the Fire Department picking him up outside the bar and driving him to the hospital at 5 a.m. Saturday morning, according to the police report for the incident.
The victim, who was missing his wallet and ring and had no idea where his date was, was treated for significant soreness to his back and the back of his head at the UW Medical Center and released.
He got back to his residence nearby around 10 a.m., and his date met up with him there.
According to the report, she had scrapes and bruising on the side of her face, was missing her iPhone and had spent the night at an unknown man's place nearby.
She told the victim she believes they were purposefully drugged at the bar, according to the report.
The victim told officers the bartender had seen the large amount of cash he was carrying and had warned him he shouldn't be carrying that much cash around.
Officers stopped by the bar. The bartender in question was not there, but another employee was able to give his side of the night's events.
He said the couple was drinking at the bar until closing time, when the man took off while his date was in the restroom.
The employee said staff determined the woman was too drunk to go off into the night on her own, so they arranged for her to sleep it off at one of their houses.
According to the report, bar employees didn't know where the man had gone or that he had apparently been attacked and robbed.
The couple did not report the incident until Monday because they were recovering from their hangovers and injuries, according to the report.
True victims with clean hands don't wait a few days for their injuries to heal before going to the police to report the crime that resulted in those injuries.Â
At least one side, and probably both, are not telling the whole story.Â
(Sorry for double post; first one was cut off.)
So did he bribe the bartender to drug his date's drink (since so many warnings are out there to not let it leave your sight) and the bartender thought it'd be hilarious to drug both drinks? Anyone could've rolled him while he was out cold on the sidewalk somewhere.
Although if you don't think drinking a lot, at multiple bars, would cause you to black out for several hours, you're probably a pretty heavy drinker.Â
Que the violins...... I have a feeling there is more to this sob story than they are telling....
@The WA Mama Both sides, it sounds like.Â
So, he left, while she was in the restroom... she came back and he was gone.. What happened to her, if they determined that she was to wasted to tell to leave.. and ended up spending the night at one of the employees homes? How did she get scraped up and bruised? (it is easy to loose a phone, when drunk)
Something doesn't sound right..
They sound like a real class act couple meant for one another...
@Windowseat The looks they'll get over the next 40 years when they tell their story of how they got together offset any financial loss here.Â
And if being The Boyfriend, the rock of support when your date's grandmother passes is like 25 dates in one (according to Cosmo Kramer), this must be like two years worth of dates!
Charming story. Â A first date where you drink so much that you're falling down? Â Doubt they were drugged. the bar's account sounds more credible. Â He probably got mugged outside the bar when he wandered off. Â They might want to consider some sort of rehab.Â
@DTÂ These two need so many types of rehab, all intense in-house level, that it'll be difficult to pick which one to start with.Â
Starting with the alcohol issue may or may not be killing the monster's head, especially for a woman to be blotto, falling down drunk with a man she's known barely a week.Â
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@jack jed Did you just use the word "flabbergasting"? Wow....
"The victim told officers he and his date drank a lot of alcohol. But, he didn't think it was enough to cause the several-hour blackout that followed because the next thing he remembers is the Fire Department picking him up outside the bar and driving him to the hospital at 5 a.m. Saturday morning, according to the police report for the incident."
Bartenders who do this can easily get blacklisted from serving, a lot of the bars in the u-district are loosely connected and word can spread very easily for a shady bartender.
That being said, the couple already drank at (probably several) places before ending up to this one. Judging by the area, my guess is Finn McCool's.
For the lady, yeah, not the best planning but if you ever tried to give a blackout friend a ride home and not really knowing their address is damn near impossible to get them where they needed to go, and bars can't necessarily lock anyone inside trying to sober up. Much better than throwing her out to pass out somewhere in that area.
@rwthw Finn's is on "the ave."Â The only bar that I see in the 1300 block of 43rd is Kai's. Â
Yeah, but I'd believe getting stupid drunk is a lot easier at Finn's :P
@rwthw Earl's is always a good time too!Â
Crazy!!! Who would get blasted drunk in such a vulnerable situation (first date). This just sounds insane to me.Â
Awesome!!! We have our edit button back! Thanks KOMO!!!!! :)
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this sounds too bizarre to me, maybe I'm just getting old.
@izwideopen Yes, you are definitely getting too old because this is the most normal situation ever. I can't even believe they bothered to report on it!Â
I get falling down drunk with near-strangers every night of the week, and I can't recall a date that didn't end in one or both of us being robbed, physically injured, drunk to the point of unconsciousness and requiring transport by ambulance.Â
If a man fails on any of those fronts, he sure isn't getting a third or fourth date; I don't date boring losers. Especially ones who aren't even adventurous enough to sneak out while I'm in the restroom and leave me stranded in the bar.Â
Now that's a story they can one day tell their grandchildren.
@Count_Screamalot Their alcoholic grandchildren, that is!
@Smashquail @Count_Screamalot Very likely! But hopefully not grandchildren severely affected with fetal alcohol syndrome.
"The employee said staff determined the woman was too drunk to go off into the night on her own, so they arranged for her to sleep it off at one of their houses."
Yeah, that was a great idea!Â
@sfvcyco At one of their houses? Red flag, red flag!! Talk about opening themselves to liability, improprieties, any kind of allegations the drunk might manufacture in her pickled brain. The staff and employee made a stupid decision to enter into that couple's problems. Just call the cops. And don't over-serve drunks.
@mytake @sfvcyco tender shoulda called a cab !!
@sfvcyco Not a great idea but calling the police when someone gets smashed at your bar will invite the police to start an investigation.  They will assume that you have over served and it could get their license pulled even if they did drink somewhere else.  It's a lose/lose for the bar, but it may have been the best option if the man that let her sleep it off was a good person.
@sfvcyco That part of the story is very strange, if you ask me.
Is there no other protocl to follow? I can't imagine the owner wants that kind of liability on his or her hands. Someone gets too drunk and the solution is to bring them home with you?
@Cinn My thoughts too. I would think that would be a VERY bad idea liability-wise. My other thought was that it was made up, or embellished.
@Cinn assuming the best, I'm sure they didn't want to call the police on her, saw that she was dumped mid-date by her guy, and no way to get her home.  Seems plausible.  The only other scenario, is if the guy walked out to get some air and was jumped, and they assumed he left.  Good reason not to get smashed in bars... never turns out well.Â
@sfvcyco May have been the best of intentions, but yeah not the most thought out of plans...and no female employees?
@aintno1special @sfvcyco Yes, if no female employees willing and able to take custody of her for the night, probably wiser to call EMS.Â
If they transported him because he couldn't reasonably protect himself, they'd certainly take her.Â
Much as I hate abuse of any emergency and/or police services, do this one for her safety and bill her/garnishee her income relentlessly until she's paid a reasonable portion of it.Â