Masked gunman robs SE Bend Dutch Bros, gets away

Bend police were examining surveillance video and seeking the public’s help Sunday after a man wearing a mask and sunglasses held up a southeast Bend Dutch Bros coffee stand at gunpoint late Saturday night.

Shortly after 11 p.m., a man displaying a handgun entered the Dutch Bros at 603 Southeast Third Street, at the corner of Third and Wilson Avenue, said Bend police Corporal Matt Baldwin.

Baldwin said the man was wearing a mask covering his mouth and chin, as well as sunglasses.

The man demanded a 19-year-old female Dutch Bros employee place money from the cash registers and the safe into a bag, Baldwin said. After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber ran away.

The robbery suspect was described as a white male adult, wearing a gray pullover “hoodie” (hooded sweatshirt) and dark pants.

Bend police responded and searched the area, along with a K-9 team, but could not find the robber, who remains at large.

No one was injured in the holdup, the corporal said.

Josh Costa, co-owner of the Central Oregon Dutch Bros, said the barista working at the time of the holdup was shaken up but okay. They normally have two employees there, but she was working alone, Costa told NewsChannel 21’s A.J. Kato.

“Literally right after she closed up shop, a masked man with a gun came in the back door, like right after she shut off the lights,” Costa said. “He had been waiting. He bolted in the back with a big zip-lock bag and said ‘Fill it up with the cash drawers.'”

Costa said the robber reportedly hid by the dumpster, where some people have hung out and they’ve had to call police about in the past.

“The guy who did it, you can tell by the way he moved, he was definitely a career criminal,” Costa said. “He was scoping it out — waited, you know, for her to be alone, I think, and did it then.”

Costa said the employee will be taking a paid week off: “She was very (shaken) up when I got here. I was able to calm her down and (I’m) so thankful that she’s okay, but no she’s doing good.”

He said he was glad no one was hurt, and it was a big lesson.

“Absolutely yeah — big reminder of safety, like watch your surroundings. We have the non-emergency dispatch number posted in our stores. (We) tell them to call and send an officer if they see anything weird or suspicious. So this will definitely put us on a heightened sense of alert and security.”

As police analyze the surveillance video, anyone who was in the area around the time of the robbery who may have seen suspicious activity is asked to contact Bend police at 541-322-2960.

The suspect likely would face charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree theft, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing, Baldwin said.