A Fresno woman remains at large after she threw a cup of scalding coffee at a Dutch Bros barista over a botched order, authorities said Wednesday.
The attack happened Oct. 14 at the Dutch Bros Coffee location on Clinton and Cedar Avenue, where the customer had placed her order and later approached the shop window for pickup. When she discovered the drink was wrong, a verbal altercation erupted, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.
An employee attempted to resolve the mistake, but the customer grew more irate. Authorities said she “got more upset and threw the hot cup of coffee onto the employee.” The store’s surveillance camera recorded the entire confrontation.
The woman then fled in a light-gray SUV, possibly a Hyundai Ioniq with a temporary paper license plate fixed to its front bumper. She has not been located since.
Detectives described the suspect as a Black woman in her 30s, standing between 5’6″ and 5’8″ with a medium build. At the time of the incident, she wore a white T-shirt, gray sweatpants and blue sneakers, and she had her hair pulled back into a ponytail.
The sheriff’s office is asking the public for help identifying her. Anyone with information can contact Detective Chad Clark at (559) 513-4366 or via email at [email protected]. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867 or through the organization’s website.
The Dutch Bros chain, founded in Oregon and known for its drive-thru coffee stands and enthusiastic “broista” culture, operates multiple locations across California’s Central Valley. The Fresno incident marks the latest in a string of customer-service confrontations nationwide that have turned physical.