Vancouver Barista Robbed by Armed Man in Scream Mask

Patrons of Vancouver’s year-old Torque Coffee Roasters formed a cash mob Thursday to help pay for time off for a barista who was the victim of an ugly robbery last Sunday morning, Easter.

Kayli Becker recently told The Columbian that she had just posted the following photo to Facebook when she looked up to find a man in a dark hooded sweatshirt and a “Scream” mask pointing a gun at her. Here’s more from the Columbian report:

The Facebook photo

“I start freaking out and I start crying. I said, ‘please don’t hurt me,'” Becker said in an interview this week.

He ordered Becker to give him the cash in the register and she fumbled with the keys as she opened the till. Then, the masked man forced her into the walk-in cooler. She wasn’t locked in, but she waited and pounded on the door to make sure the masked robber was gone.

A little while later — it could have been one minute or five minutes, she said — Becker exited to find the man, the money from the till and her purse gone.

“I’m not a scared person all the time,” she said. “But when you’re not sure if they’re going to pull the trigger, it’s extremely scary.”

While disheartening, the event seems to have served also as a rallying point for the shop’s regulars, who have been showing up en masse to help support Torque through normal patronage and by donating tips to allow Becker to take some time off work. Late Wednesday, here’s what the Torque team posted to its Facebook page:

We want to thank everyone for coming out today to support us, it was fantastic seeing you all. The donations to Kayli have more than made up for what was stolen from her. While she is not yet back to work, she is definetely working at getting better. We all hope to see you back down here soon, and again, thank you for your support, it’s how we keep in business.

For more on the story, visit The Columbian

For more on Torque, visit Torque Coffee Roasters