Video shows Seattle bikini barista smash customer's windshield with hammer after he threw drinks, allegedly made threats



A video has gone viral of a bikini barista smashing a customer's windshield with a hammer after he threw drinks toward her in South Seattle, Washington. The employee claimed the man made threatening comments to her.

On Tuesday, a man went to get coffee at the Taste of Heaven Espresso shop. According to the owner of the coffee shop, the customer ordered a 32-ounce coffee and a 24-ounce water, which totaled about $22.

Emma Lee, the owner and sole employee of the coffee shop, said the man became outraged over the price of the two drinks.

Lee told KCPQ, "No one is forcing you to come here. The argument that he didn't know or was scammed doesn’t hold up. The prices are listed. You don’t get to name your own price."

Video shows the man getting out of his car and escalating the situation.

She said that other customers attempted to calm the man down for about 10 minutes.

In the video, the man is heard saying, "Nobody’s going to miss you," which Lee felt was a threat.

"Oh, okay so you have no problem harming me, you’re making that clear," she told KIRO-TV.

"It was a threat after screaming, spitting, and trying to pry open the window, I felt in danger," Lee claimed.

Suddenly, the irate customer threw the drinks at Lee.

Lee responded by grabbing a hammer, leaning out the drive-through window, and smashing the windshield of the customer's car.

Surveillance video of the confrontation can be seen here.

"It's one thing to yell, it’s one thing to get mad, it’s one thing to even be outside of your car and try to threaten me," Lee stated. "But to actually have the action behind it, it changed things for me where I was like 'oh no.'"

Lee called the customer's actions "disgusting."

She said, "Why should this kind of interaction be expected because of the environment?"

Lee added, "Disrespect and violence are two different things. I can handle the disrespect, the violence is like a hard, that’s where the line is crossed."

The coffee shop owner said she was acting in self-defense.

Lee asked, "It's okay for him to be outraged about the price of his drinks, enough to assault me, but it's not appropriate for me to respond?"

She defended her actions by saying, "I personally think that you thought you were going to throw drinks on me and ruin my day, you’re going to pay for a new windshield and it’s going to ruin your day."

Lee said the man refused to leave the parking lot where the Taste of Heaven Espresso shop is located, so she called the police.

Police arrived at the coffee shop.

"The police came, and they got him to leave. It was understood that what happened is, he assaulted me, and I responded," Lee said.

Seattle police said no arrests were made in the incident.

Lee has since filed charges for misdemeanor assault.

The customer is banned from the stand. He could take Lee to small claims court to make her pay the cost of his smashed windshield.

While some say the bikini barista's actions were too harsh, Lee said that women have the right to defend themselves.

"I know so many women that haven’t defended themselves in situations they definitely should’ve and could have because we know that the repercussion more likely than not is going to fall on the woman that responds to the violence than the initial violence inflicted," Lee explained.

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Video: Parents chase naked man through JCPenny store after he allegedly tried to touch children



Disturbing video shows the moment that concerned parents allegedly chased and thrashed a naked man in a JCPenny store in Washington state after he reportedly tried to touch children.

A naked man is seen on a viral video in the children's clothing section of a JCPenny store in a Seattle suburb on Oct. 1. Three men are seen confronting the nude man. The men chase after the naked man through the JCPenny store.

During the chase, the nude man grabbed a pair of pants off the store display and put them on while trying to escape the men pursuing him. However, the men physically assaulted the nudist. One man is seen wildly punching the naked man. In the background, children could be heard crying.

Finally, one of the men said that the naked man had learned his lesson and that it had been "enough" punishment.

The Tukwila Police Department said in a statement, "The individual depicted in the video was in mental crisis. Shortly after the video shared online ends, the individual had a serious medical emergency which necessitated the need for medics and transportation to the hospital."

The woman filming the video is heard saying, "He's like, holding the kid. He has two kids with him."

Seattle-area journalist Jonathan Choe said, "Naked man allegedly tried to touch kids in Southcenter Mall. Bystanders moved in and obliterated him."

Police said they have yet to find any evidence that the naked man attempted to molest any children.

The unidentified naked man was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault.

— (@)

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'She graced our lives': College student stabbed 107 times trying to protect mother against abusive stepfather over possible divorce, police say



A college student allegedly was stabbed more than 100 times by her stepfather as she attempted to protect her mother, according to police.

Early in the morning of Aug. 7, Angelina Tran was allegedly woken to the sounds of her mother being abused by her stepfather at their home in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Nghiep Kein Chau, 54, purportedly punched Tran's mother in the head "about 15 times" in the kitchen, according to charging documents.

Prosecutors say Tran attempted to protect her mother from any more domestic abuse by the stepfather. However, Chau allegedly grabbed a knife and stabbed Tran a total of 107 times.

The New York Post reported, "He stopped the stabbing spree several times during the rampage, the charging documents say, including once to change his clothes and another to grab a different knife." Chau allegedly switched to a meat cleaver in the middle of the rampage.

The mother allegedly escaped the carnage and called 911 to report the stabbing.

Officers with the Seattle Police Department responded to the attack shortly before 5 a.m. and found Tran bleeding from the stab wounds on her face.

Law & Crime reported, "After Nghiep was cuffed, cops found the 'stabbed and obviously deceased body' of Angelina Tran, 'lying on her back on the floor of the kitchen.'"

Police also reportedly found Chau wearing bloody clothes and holding a knife, then allegedly admitting: "I killed somebody."

According to police, Chau walked down a staircase holding a "large bloody fixed-blade kitchen style knife, which he dropped when ordered to do so by officers."

He reportedly told police that he had been "bickering" with his wife of 19 years.

Through a Vietnamese interpreter, Chau purportedly told police that he suspected his wife was going to divorce him and take his money.

According to the Seattle Times, "He also told the detective he became angry with Tran for intervening and blocking him from her mother, who he said he was trying to find and kill before police arrived, according to court documents."

Investigators obtained search warrants and reportedly seized evidence from the residence, including home security video. The security footage allegedly displayed the initial assault as well as the fatal stabbing of the 21-year-old University of Washington student.

Investigators said that Chau stabbed Tran "at least 107 times in the torso" based on the home video.

Chau was taken into custody by police. He was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. Chau is being held at the King County Correctional Facility on $5 million bond.

An arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 31.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to direct funds in Tran's name to the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging.

"She graced our lives as an incredible daughter, a cherished friend, and above all, a perfect girlfriend," the crowdfunding campaign reads. "She excelled in her studies, with just one more year remaining at the University of Washington, Seattle. Her dedication and hard work were truly admirable. The pain of her absence is profound as she was a gem of a human being. The impact she had on all those fortunate enough to know her was significant."

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Stepdad charged with murder after UW student was stabbed 100+ times in Seattle home www.youtube.com

Watch: Bizarre bodycam video shows Seattle burglar chugging gasoline as police arrest him at gunpoint



A bizarre scene unfolded as police officers tracked down a burglar at a Seattle home. The home invasion suspect is seen on police bodycam video chugging gasoline as officers went to arrest him.

Around 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Seattle police received a 911 call from a father reporting that a man with a wooden stick had broken into his home. The father was not home at the time, but his 17-year-old daughter was at the house when the home invader entered.

Police arrived at the residence, but the front door was locked and nobody answered the door. Police said the teen girl was "too afraid" to answer the door.

Bodycam video shows police busting down the door after they heard banging noises coming from the home. Officers then searched the home for the girl and the suspect.

The burglary suspect was found inside the garage. He had locked himself inside the homeowner's white SUV and refused to exit the vehicle when instructed by police officers who were pointing their guns at the suspect.

Bodycam footage shows the suspect chugging gasoline out of a plastic container. He also had a hammer in his lap.

The Seattle Police Department said officers were forced to break the driver-side window of the car because the suspect was "endangering his own life" and because of "the hazard the gasoline created."

As police broke the window, the suspect is seen on bodycam video chugging more gas, prompting one officer to quizzically ask, "What the...?"

An officer ordered the man to "drop the gas."

Officers opened the door and then dragged the reluctant suspect out of the car.

Four officers are seen on bodycam video restraining the man.

The suspect – whom police did not identify – was arrested for residential burglary. The 40-year-old male suspect was treated by paramedics and then booked into a King County jail.

The teen was found unharmed on the second floor of the home and brought to safety.

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(WARNING: Graphic video)

In Progress Burglary Suspect Drinks Gas While Being Arrested www.youtube.com

Seattle man, fed up with rampant crime, uses drone to recover stolen property



One Seattle, Washington, resident angry over the lawlessness that continues to plague his hometown has decided to turn one of his hobbies into a crime-fighting apparatus.

What are the details?

Tony, a 39-year-old husband and father who recently had his car broken into and his trailer stolen, now uses his drone to help others recover their stolen property, KCPQ-TV reported.

"People who steal from other people I feel are some of the worst scum on the planet. I hate them," Tony told the news outlet in a recent interview. "If I can do anything to stop them, or help people who have been victims, I'd like to be a part of that."

Recent Seattle data shows that more than 2,000 cars have been stolen in the city since the start of the year, and other burglaries and thefts total more than 13,000.

Disgusted with the rampant crime, Tony began searching for ways to locate his own property. That's when he stumbled upon a helpful Facebook group called "PNW Stolen Cars," a forum where auto theft victims can share information about their stolen property in hopes of recovering it.

The group reportedly led Tony to an encampment underneath the First Avenue Bridge in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. The trash-filled area is apparently well known as a chop shop where people illegally deconstruct cars to sell their parts and homeless people use illicit drugs in plain sight.

"It's just a big open piece of land. It's completely taken over with trailers and cars and trash — lots of trash. Absolutely disgusting," Tony said after flying his drone over the area.

He said he grew suspicious when one time he "saw somebody walk around with a Sawzall and they were getting underneath a car" and noted that the encampment is filled with rows and rows of cars, many completely destroyed.

West Seattle man using drone to help recover stolen cars | FOX 13 Seattle www.youtube.com

What else?

Tony has since flown his drone over the area on multiple occasions in search of stolen property. He told KCPQ that he's already helped two people recover their vehicles.

"First one, they saw it, and unfortunately by the time they got down there with the cops, the car was completely destroyed," he told the outlet.

As for the second one, Tony recalled, "It got to be a little hairy. They were driving on the shoulder, then we got into some residential neighborhoods up in Burien, and they were going really fast and reckless."

Eventually the thieves ditched the car because they knew they were being monitored, and the rightful owners were able to find it later.

On another occasion, some of the thieves in the encampment noticed Tony's drone flying overhead. One took out what appeared to be a pistol and fired a shot, striking the drone less than an inch away from its lens. Fortunately, the weapon turned out to be just a BB gun.

Tony told KCPQ that he plans to continue searching the area and others like it with his drone and is willing to work with the Seattle Police Department to help crack down on car thefts.

"Unfortunately, just feels like the police have their hands tied behind their backs and you just can't do anything," he said.

Anything else?

According to KIRO-TV, Seattle police have been aware of the encampment under First Avenue Bridge for months but have been unable to do much about it.

Jamie Housen, spokesperson for Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office, confirmed to the outlet that "over the last several months, the city has received complaints regarding a variety of issues in this area, including encampment obstructions, trash build-up, environmental impact and public safety."

Housen added that the Seattle Police Department is responsible for addressing any illegal activity in the area, which is jointly owned by the state and the city.

But according to Jim Fuda, director of Crime Stoppers Puget Sound, only so much can be done, given police staffing shortages.

"You can only do so much, with so many officers," Fuda said, noting that "auto theft has been lumped into general investigations unit with fraud, theft, those kind of property crimes."

Two-thirds of Seattle residents 'actively considered' moving over violent crime, rampant homelessness — now they want to bulk up the police force



A whopping two-thirds of Seattle residents have considered moving out of the progressive Pacific Northwest city due to its rapidly deteriorating quality of life, according to the results of a new public survey.

What are the details?

Disgruntled residents made clear their dissatisfaction with the city's leadership in a new poll released by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce on Monday, highlighting the high cost of living and the surge in violent crime and homelessness as top reasons to ditch the city in exchange for a new home.

Overall, 67% of poll respondents — including majorities form every demographic — said they had "actively considered" moving out of the city in recent months. While Republicans and independents were more likely to voice consideratio of moving, a majority of Democrats and socialists also said they wanted out.

What factors are driving residents out of the city? More than 60% said homelessness remained their primary concern, while 46% listed crime/public safety, and 22% cited affordability/housing. Meanwhile, comparatively few — just 11% — listed racial issues/policing as their primary concern.

In a press release regarding the poll, the chamber noted that the number of voters citing crime/public safety as their primary concern grew by 17 points since the poll was last conducted in August.

An overwhelming number of residents said that "addressing violent crime and gun violence," "property crime like theft and car break-ins," and "closing encampments in parks, on sidewalks, [and] public ways" would have the greatest impact on improving quality of life in the city.

Moreover, residents signaled strong support for bulking up the city's police force to address crime and homelessness and flatly rejected the city council's anti-police approach to public safety.

"Voters do not trust the city council on police reform and they strongly prefer an approach that includes fundamental reform and hiring more officers rather than an approach that focuses on defunding the police and de-criminalizing non-violent offenders," the chamber said in a poignant summary statement.

Why does it matter?

The disastrous poll results put Seattle in line with other floundering progressive cities in the U.S. — such as San Francisco — that have struggled to keep up resident morale amid rising violent crime and homelessness.

Last April, a study found that of all the major U.S. cities, San Francisco lost the most residents in 2019 and 2020, with a great many moving to conservative states like Florida and Texas.

Not surprisingly, Seattle was third on the list behind New York City. And judging from this most recent poll, the Emerald City could soon overtake San Francisco as the mass exodus leader.

Amazon relocates employees ​from downtown Seattle office over rampant violent crime



Amazon announced Friday that it would be relocating employees from its downtown Seattle office space this week over safety concerns, as rampant violence continues to plague the progressive northwestern city.

In a statement to KOMO-TV, a spokesman for the global tech giant said that approximately 1,800 employees currently assigned to the 300 Pine St. building will be moved to an alternative office space for their safety.

"Given recent incidents near 3rd and Pine, we’re providing employees currently at that location with alternative office space elsewhere," the statement said. "We are hopeful that conditions will improve and that we will be able to bring employees back to this location when it is safe to do so."

KOMO reported that in just the last few weeks, shootings have plagued this area of downtown.

The sustained increase in violent crime reached a new apex on Mar. 2, when a 15-year-old boy, Michael Del Bianco, was shot and killed on 3rd Ave. and Pine St., not far from the location of Amazon's office building. The location where Del Bianco was killed had already been the site of numerous crimes, including several deadly shootings, KSTU-TV reported.

Following the shooting, the Seattle Police Department increased its presence in the area. The department deployed officers to patrol the area on bikes and even set up a mobile precinct to deter violence. But that apparently wasn't enough for Amazon to stick around.

According to Newsweek, several other companies with downtown offices have continued to allow employees to work remotely amid the crime spike.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office said in a statement that the mayor "is working every day to make downtown a safe and thriving neighborhood for residents, workers, and businesses."

"While it will take time to reverse longstanding safety issues, Mayor Harrell's early efforts are critical first steps to address crime and improve safety through dedicated SPD officers, a mobile SPD precinct, and additional environmental changes," the statement to KOMO read. "Mayor Harrell will continue to develop a comprehensive approach to public safety in collaboration with police and safety advocates, community members, service providers, and businesses, including Amazon, to activate, revitalize, and restore downtown for all."

The mayor's words will likely ring hollow for residents, who have put up with a marked rise in crime since 2020. The city's policies, which have often traded public safety for controversial progressive causes, have not been effective.

Earlier this year, the city announced that its police would no longer enforce certain non-criminal traffic violations due to racism and equity concerns.

Seattle DoorDash driver tries to thwart car theft by clinging to hood for several blocks and grabbing steering wheel to cause a crash: Report



A DoorDash driver in Seattle recently attempted to stop a thief from stealing his vehicle by hopping on the hood of his car as the thief sped away, KIRO-TV reported.

What are the details?

The food delivery driver reportedly remained on top of the vehicle for several blocks until he was eventually able to reach inside and grab the steering wheel. With the steering wheel in his grasp, he jerked in one direction and caused the car to crash.

At that point, the DoorDash driver, who was not identified in the report, rolled off the hood of the vehicle presumably to approach the thief. But the suspect drove away before he had the chance.

After the thief sped away, the delivery driver reportedly ran about a mile to the West Precinct to report his vehicle was stolen.

The incident took place in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle on Jan. 20 at around 11:30 p.m., according to Seattle police.

The department recorded that officers first responded to the scene after reports came in of a vehicle speeding down the street with a man clinging to the windshield and screaming for the driver to pull over. Witnesses reportedly confirmed the reports to officers who arrived on the scene.

Officers conducted an extensive search of the area and determined the general direction that the vehicle was traveling, but were unable to locate the vehicle.

During discussions with police at West Precinct, the delivery driver recounted that he had just finished a delivery and had stepped outside of his car to stretch his legs when the theft occurred.

He said his vehicle was still running when he saw someone jump behind the wheel and begin driving away.

Neither KIRO nor the Seattle police have provided an update on the case. TheBlaze attempted to contact the Seattle Police Department but was unable to receive a response before publication.

What else?

Seattle police continue to struggle against soaring crime in the city. Vehicle theft, specifically, has remained a major problem for the Northwest city. Seattle ranks inside the top 20 worst cities for vehicle theft, according to FBI data.

On the city's website, officials recommend that residents refrain from leaving their car unlocked and from leaving their windows down, leaving keys in the car, and fromparking in poorly lit places with low visibility.

Seattle business witnesses drug deal, indecent exposure, police standoff within 3 hours of reopening: 'Sadly, it was ... what we expected.'



Staff at a popular business in downtown Seattle said they witnessed a slew of criminal activity within just a few hours of reopening this week after being closed for months. It's part of an ongoing problem in the city, as surging crime and a lack of police resources have downtown businesses pleading with the city council to make changes.

Piroshky Piroshky, a Russian-style Seattle bakery chain, opened the doors of its 3rd Avenue and Pike Street location at dawn on Monday after being closed for months, only to be greeted with violence.

"The staff said within three hours of the opening, they saw a drug deal, indecent exposure, and a police standoff with someone waving a knife," KCPQ-TV reported.

"Police presence all over. We look out the window and there's a man brandishing a knife. They pull out their guns, they're telling this man to drop the weapon," Brian Amaya, the company's director of operations, told the news outlet. "There are drug users, people trying to steal food from our display case here — they reach in and try to grab it."

Seattle businesses calling on city, police to take action against rising crime | Q13 FOX Seattle www.youtube.com

Amaya, along with the owner of the restaurant, Olgoa Sagan, said the rampant crime and lawlessness are nothing new. The bakery shuttered in March after federal stimulus money ran low, but Sagan noted that staffers were also looking forward to a break from the violence downtown. Unfortunately, that same level of violence greeted employees on their first day back on the job.

"I think that's the scary part, that we're so now accustomed to this kind of level of crime and lawlessness around this area," Sagan said.

"Sadly, it was kind of more of the same of what we expected," Amaya added.

In a tweet Monday, Piroshky Piroshky called on the city council to meet with businesses to come up with a plan to address the crime problem, asking, "How does downtown come back without businesses?"

First 3 hours of being open- drug deal, someone exposing themselves- and a knife stand-off with police - is it poss… https://t.co/8nJuci7DFK

— Piroshky Piroshky (@PiroshkyBakery) 1628528925.0

In conversation with KCPQ, Sagan said that Seattle's government leaders have essentially abandoned them.

"Downtown is still in trouble, we're still having issues, there's still safety concerns, we still need police presence here, we still need help here," Sagan said. "It's scary that the King County building — they all were sent home. I mean, government officials keep running away from the city. What is left for us to do?"

Piroshky Piroshky is not the only organization complaining. Seattle's Downtown Business Association said in a statement that help is needed for the city's downtown to recover, including more policing.

"Our city and county elected leaders need a plan for addressing problems that only seem to be getting worse. Decisions made at the city level have, in part, led to Seattle Police staffing shortages. Will City Council mitigate or exacerbate the situation?" the association reportedly said.

Video captures brutal daylight beatdown in Seattle amid crime surge. The victim is reportedly still spitting up blood.



Surveillance video captured an assailant viciously attacking and robbing a man in broad daylight in Seattle, Washington, last month as critics argue the city has nowhere near enough police presence to crack down on soaring crime.

What happened?

The victim, a 22-year-old freelance photographer, was allegedly vacationing in the city when he was beaten unconscious and robbed while walking in the Mount Baker neighborhood. He is reportedly still suffering from severe injuries.

According to Seattle police, the attacker approached the photographer, known on social media as Caliber Visuals, at around 6 p.m. local time. The two appeared to shake hands before things unexpectedly turned violent.

"The suspect then threw the victim to the ground, stomped on him and kicked him repeatedly, knocking the victim unconscious. The suspect then rummaged through the victim's pockets and stole his wallet and keys before walking away," police reported.

NEW: A 22-year-old freelance photographer visiting Seattle was brutally beaten unconscious & robbed in the Mount Ba… https://t.co/vzvpQjy7XW

— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) 1628460231.0

Police added that a bystander later came to the victim's aid by alerting authorities. After medics arrived at the scene, the victim was transported to the hospital, where "he received treatment for head trauma and significant injuries to his face."

In a post on a GoFundMe page he started, the victim claimed that he suffered a brain hemorrhage and a fractured left eye during the assault. He added that four days after the attack he was still "spitting up blood."

The assailant reportedly stole the victim's cell phone, wallet, $900 in cash, and car keys that cost several hundred dollars to replace.

Police are looking for help identifying the attacker, whom they describe as a "Black male, 5'10", 180 lbs., with a medium build."

What else?

Conservative Seattle talk radio host Jason Rantz argued that brazen attacks such as the one against the freelance photographer are becoming more prevalent amid the city's crime surge and defund the police movement.

"Mount Baker is known to have a crime issue, but the city doesn't have enough police to proactively walk, drive, or bike around neighborhoods as a deterrent," Rantz noted in an opinion piece about the attack.

Last month, a couple in Seattle was attacked and beaten with a machete, rocks, and a 5-foot wooden pole while attempting to retrieve stolen items from a homeless encampment. Following that attack, Rantz claimed that police in the city are being prevented from monitoring homeless camps.

A worker near the scene of the latest attack argued that police are being hamstrung and consequently criminals are becoming emboldened.

"It's disheartening to watch this happen around our city, and nothing's being done about it," the worker told KIRO-TV. "It's been going on for years, and it seems to be the city council has let this continue to happen."

"We're tired of this," he added. "There's no reason we should be walking around in fear."