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Cap Hill barista canned for Starbucks pastry, blended beverage embezzlement

While some complain that Starbucks is stealing the look and feel of indie businesses on 15th Ave, one woman recently turned the table on the coffee giant by making off with a few hundred dollars of Starbucks drinks and pastries over a two-month period until she was caught and fired two weeks ago from her job at Safeway. From the East Precinct police files comes this tale of employee theft and Frappuccinos at the corner of 15th and E. John:

On 7-21-09 at 1600, while working uniformed police security for Safeway at E. John St, the store afternoon manager introduced me to [redacted] who is internal security for Safeway. [redacted] told me that… Safeway store manager received a complaint that the suspect (Safeway employee barista in the store Starbucks Kiosk) had been taking pastries and blended drinks routinely at the end of her shift from the Starbucks Kiosk inside Safeway at [E John] and not paying. [redacted] told me he reviewed the in store tapes (entered into evidence) and witnessed that the suspect did on numerous occasions steal from the store kiosk the pastries and blended drinks. When I contacted the suspect in the store upper office, I read to her miranda warnings and she answereed yes to both waivers. [redacted] then gave me copies of the suspect’s admission statement. Suspect told me she didn’t think taking the drinks and pastries at the end of her shift was wrong since her brother who works for a Starbucks at another location routinely brings pastries and drinks home from his job at Starbucks. Suspect was given a signed trespass admonishment by Off R. Roberson #5863 for one year from all Safeway stores. I I&Rd the suspect at the scene. Safeway security told the suspect that she was terminated and insured she left with all her personal property.

According to the report, the 22-year-old Safeway employee began her embezzlement spree from the store Starbucks kiosk in mid-May. Report lists her take at $320. That would shake out to about 53 blended beverages and delicious baked goods combos.

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Mike with curls
Mike with curls
14 years ago

Petty theft is small time news … who cares?

Food and liquor places are constant targets of employee theft, with all due respect, talk to any bar owner about the till.

Lonnie
Lonnie
14 years ago

Petty theft from a multibillion dollar corporation that doesn’t provide regular part time work hours. Thanks for showing us what real crime is, blog.

Marcus
Marcus
14 years ago

Keep in mind this wasn’t Starbucks firing the barista or filing charges. The kiosks in Safeway are all operated and manned by Safeway employees (similar to a franchise), they just serve Starbucks coffee.

exbarista
exbarista
14 years ago

Are those pastries going to the garbage anyways? I worked for cafes (big and small) when I was younger. We were told that as long as we jot it down and noted as loss, we can take home the day old pastries/sandwiches at the end of day.

Mike with curls
Mike with curls
14 years ago

Lonnie, I can appreciate old fashioned red politics.

This isn’t. Mellow out, get some coffee, iced is good, chew on something, pastry is fine, foreskin fits the evening as well … it is summer … then refocus on the BIG issues.

Love, Curls

Swift Albero
Swift Albero
14 years ago

Yes, I remember the same thing. As long as they were “marked out,” they didn’t necessarily need to be thrown into the garbage. But that was only if you were a closing employee. Maybe the end of her shift wasn’t the end of the business day.

mw
mw
14 years ago

If they don’t give you the hours you need don’t work there. Move on.

Ant I
Ant I
14 years ago

good to know seattle police are keeping busy busting dangerous criminals lol.

Sean
Sean
14 years ago

Your choice of terminology seems a tad melodramatic, wouldn’t you say.

This is more like taking advantage of an imaginary perk, one that I’m guessing Starbucks and most other coffee shops willingly grant their employees.

jseattle
14 years ago

Didn’t realize the included shot of the redacted police report didn’t include the header — the investigated crime was categorized as ’embezzlement’ by the reporting officer, not CHS. Sorry for not making that clear.

Michael Strangeways
Michael Strangeways
14 years ago

uh, why is this on here?

who cares?

unless it was Erica C Barnett…

jesse
jesse
14 years ago

you’d think after watching her do it 50 something times someone might have said something after uhhhhh I don’t know… the first time she did it? Then, perhaps the confusion would’ve been cleared up and she wouldn’t have done it FIFTY more times????

Teej
Teej
14 years ago

In other news, people are dropping crumbs on the sidewalk on 15th Ave. Oh, and a guy was sniffing his shoe.

Rachel
Rachel
14 years ago

I too am a coffee shop worker – and it is a pretty common practice to take home or give away the “day old” pastries. And free drinks are a perk of the job.