Bikini barista recalls moment man tried to kidnap her: report

The barista who was nearly kidnapped through a drive-thru window in Washington state recounted the moment the suspect yanked her arm as she tried to hand him a few bucks in change, according to a report.

The attempted abduction happened at a coffee shop drive-thru — where servers are dressed in lingerie or bikinis — after the suspect asked the server for $5 in change, Business Insider reported from an interview with the victim.

The barista said she tried to hand over five $1 bills and “he grabbed me” before she was able to break free.

The scary scene, which was caught on surveillance footage, occurred at the female-owned coffee shop called Beankini Espresso, Business Insider reported.

The barista, who was not identified, called the ordeal a “random act.”

Footage shows the woman reaching her arm out through the window to hand the change over before the suspect, reportedly identified as Matthew Darnell, attempts to pull her out of the business while holding zip ties as he sits in his pickup truck.  

The five dollars can be seen on the pavement as the man drives off. A tattoo that says Chevrolet can be seen on the man’s forearm, according to the footage.

Darnell, 38, was arrested Tuesday and was held on $500,000 by a judge Wednesday, KEPR reported.

The judge found probable cause for attempted kidnapping with sexual motivation and assault, police said.

The incident took place early Monday morning in the city of Auburn. According to police, the suspect “attempted to drag the victim through the window using a looped zip tie device.”

The barista told Business Insider there was “nothing more we should have done or could have done to prevent this.”

The business puts the employee’s safety first she said, noting the coffee shop has mace, tasers, silent panic buttons and metal doors in case “someone were to try to kick a door in.”

And if problematic customers come by, baristas don’t need to serve them, she reportedly said.

“Our owner allows us to shut the window on any customer and handle every situation in the way we feel comfortable,” she said.