At 2:30 in the morning on South Tacoma Way, in the fluorescent glow of Ladybug Espresso, a 19-year-old allegedly tried to pull a bikini barista out of her coffee stand window. She fought him off. He sped away. But in a twist that feels almost too sloppy to be real, police say he left behind a signed credit card receipt with his name on it.
According to charging documents, the barista was “frantic” and “genuinely frightened” when officers arrived, with red marks still visible on her wrist, arm, and shoulder. Surveillance footage confirmed what she told them: after she handed the young man a drink, he lunged across the counter, grabbed her arm, and tried to yank her through the window.
He didn’t get far. In addition to the receipt, his car was picked up minutes later on the city’s Flock surveillance system, which tracks license plates. Detectives followed the trail to Kent, where they found the 19-year-old at a business. He admitted he was drunk, high, and in a foul mood after losing his wallet and fighting with his ex-girlfriend. When shown a still photo from the security footage, he reportedly confirmed: yes, that was him.
He was booked into Pierce County Jail and charged with first-degree attempted kidnapping. At his arraignment on August 26, he pleaded not guilty. By the end of the day, he was released on his own recognizance, with his next hearing set for September.
For the barista, who asked to remain anonymous, the quick release has been hard to swallow. In a statement, she said she was “really upset” that he faced no bail or even house arrest. She argued that men who target sex workers — and bikini baristas fall into that category whether they want to or not — should face harsher consequences because of the very real risks they face on the job.
“He was upset about his personal issues with his girlfriend and decided to come take it out on me,” she wrote. “I’m doing fine honestly, but if he’s committing violent acts like this at the ripe age of 19 years old, I’m not too confident he won’t do it again to someone else who might end up less fortunate than I did.”
For those unfamiliar, bikini barista stands are a fixture of the Seattle-Tacoma area. They began cropping up in the early 2000s — a mash-up of caffeine culture and the strip club economy, dubbed “sexpresso.” Workers serve lattes in bikinis, lingerie, or hot pants, and the concept proved so successful that competitors began advertising themselves as “family friendly” to differentiate.
It’s an industry born out of spectacle, but there’s nothing playful about what happened at Ladybug Espresso. A young woman was grabbed against her will while trying to do her job, and a teenager is facing a serious felony because of it. Strange as the setting may be, the crime itself is straightforward — and it will now play out in court.
