The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed charges Thursday against the man suspected of attempting to abduct a barista through a drive-through window early Monday morning in Auburn.
Matthew William Darnell, 38, was charged with one count of second-degree attempted kidnapping for what prosecutors called a “deliberate and carefully planned abduction attempt,” according to court documents.
Police shared surveillance video of the incident, which shows Darnell pulling up to the window at 5:06 a.m. Monday.
He then grabs the barista’s arm and attempts to drag her outside using a looped zip tie that he’s holding with his other hand.
The barista was able to fight Darnell off and pull away.
The video then shows Darnell dropping cash on the ground as he drives away.
The barista was working alone at the time of the incident.
“It still remains unknown what the defendant had planned to do with this young woman had he successfully zip tied her and pulled her into his vehicle,” prosecutors said in court documents. “However, the fact that he forcibly attempted to abduct a complete stranger warrants extreme alarm for the safety of the community.”
Darnell’s bail was set at $500,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 26.
Note: A previous version of this story stated the suspect is 31-years-old.