Teens steal laptops from Starbucks customers, Ripon police say. A victim struck back

A brazen robbery by three teenagers at a Starbucks in Ripon on Monday evening resulted in the arrest of one of them after he was subdued by a victim and a witness.

The suspects, described as being in their mid- to late teens, entered the Starbucks on Colony Road at about 6:45 p.m., according to a press release from the Ripon Police Department.

One of the suspects went up to the counter and engaged the barista in conversation. The other two briefly walked around the seating area, then each snatched laptops being used by customers, police said.

One of the victims chased the suspects and grabbed hold of the one who’d taken his laptop, according to the release.

Another suspect, a 16-year-old from Oakland, pushed the victim so the suspect with the laptop was able to get away, police said.

Both suspects with laptops got into a late-model green Lexus GS300 driven by a fourth suspect and fled the scene, the release said.

But the victim was able to get hold of the 16-year-old who’d pushed him, said police Lt. Danny Sauer. The teen struggled to get away, but the victim tackled him to the ground and a patron at a nearby restaurant heard the commotion and came to help, police said.

The witness helped the victim hold the suspect on the ground until police arrived, Sauer said.

Before officers arrived, the suspects who fled returned briefly to the scene in an attempt to free the 16-year-old but were unsuccessful, according to the release.

The 16-year-old was booked into San Joaquin County Juvenile Hall on charges of robbery and conspiracy.

Anyone with information related to this case or other similar coffee shop thefts is asked to contact Detective Richard Francis at 209-599-2102.

This story was originally published April 9, 2019 at 4:28 PM.