Armed Suspect Orders Vanilla Bean Frappuccino At Fremont Starbucks Before Prompting Closure Of I-880
FREMONT (CBS SF) -- Interstate 880 in Fremont was closed for almost two hours Thursday as authorities searched for a man that they said had a gun. Before he was spotted near the freeway, patrons at a nearby Starbucks said he showed up with blood on his hands and ordered a drink.
A cashier at a Starbucks on Mowry Avenue near the freeway said the man ran inside Thursday evening. Witnesses inside the coffee shop told KPIX 5 that he appeared paranoid.
According to witnesses, the man yelled his drink order for a vanilla bean Frappuccino and hid in the Starbucks bathroom for about half an hour. He left before police showed up.
"He just ran into the store and he hid behind the condiment bar trying to stay out of the way of the door and he just started yelling for a drink," said Halima Ibrahim, who was in the Starbucks at the time.
Spenser Fuller, who worked at the Starbucks told KPIX 5, "I was asking him my normal questions, 'Do you want whip cream on that?' I rung him up for his purchase and between every question he backed up away from me, and when he gave me his money he backed up again - on his phone, nervous, looking out the window."
"I said 'Hey man, here's your change,' and he comes up to me and I hand him his change, and the hand that he's grabbing the change with is bleeding," Fuller also said.
Fremont police and the California Highway Patrol closed the freeway ¼ mile south and ¼ mile north of Mowry Avenue in both directions shortly after 8 p.m. The freeway was reopened around 10 p.m.
The suspect, who was thought to be hiding in bushes along the freeway, is described as a black male adult, 20 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 155 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and black shoes.
Anyone who believes they have seen the suspect should call 911 immediately and not approach him, as he is considered armed and dangerous.
TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.