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Victim of armed robbery in Tacoma warns: You could be next

A Tacoma small business owner told police she was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight while working at her cafe, and is warning the public that it's “not a question of if, but when” the next victims will be.

Payton Jones was working with a co-worker at Revive Coffee, a drive-thru she has owned for 10 years, last Thursday when a masked woman approached them carrying what the Pierce County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) believes to be a gun hidden under a blanket or jacket. Jones said she quickly closed the drive-thru's window, but the woman banged on it with the gun until it opened. The ordeal was captured on video.

Jones's employee ran to the back while the suspect screamed for money from the cash register.

“I tried to comply as quickly as possible,” Jones said on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

But it wasn't fast enough for the suspect, Jones explained. On surveillance video, the suspect repeatedly shouted, “Hurry the fuck up!” and threatened to kill her if she didn't. Jones begged the woman, “Please don't,” as she obeyed.

Although the robbery was over in less than a minute, Jones said, “It felt like an eternity.” After handing over about a hundred dollars in cash, the suspect even asked what was in the tip jar. Then, just seconds later, the suspect jumped into the passenger side of a waiting vehicle and fled. PCSO has not yet identified any suspects.

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Tacoma crime victim warns you could be next if crisis worsens

Jones never imagined she would be a victim of crime in Tacoma, although she knows that Western Washington is struggling with a crime crisis due to policies and legislation favored by Democrats. A new study ranks Washington as the most dangerous state in the country.

“I've been following the Tacompton files. I follow news stations like Fox 13. I have my Ring camera app that alerts me to things that are happening in the area, which is crazy. All of these things are happening here,” Jones explained. “And I'll be honest, I felt, you know, with all of these crazy things that are happening, very sad, but, 'It's not going to be me. It's not going to happen to me.' Like, 'No, I'm not going to be a victim of something like that.' And I guess that was kind of a reality check and also very humbling and also a learning experience. But it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when, at this point, because crime is so bad in our community, here in Pierce County… in King County, across the state and even in our country.”

The cafe owner said she blames the crime crisis on lawmakers who don't think enough about their law-abiding constituents. She wonders why they don't want to help their own communities fight crime.

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The coffee shop owner still believes things will change

Despite this traumatic experience, Jones is not letting the threat of more crime in Tacoma stop her from continuing her business. And she even believes that things will be better after the next election.

“I'm confident that things are going to change for the better because I think a lot of Americans, Washingtonians and the working class are fed up,” Jones said. “You know, we work so hard to make a living and pay our bills and these criminals just take everything away from us and in the end it's always our responsibility to pick up the pieces, which costs us more money, increases our insurance rates and drives up our taxes. I think people are fed up and I'm confident that Dave Reichert will be elected because … common sense tells you he's the better choice in this situation.”

Reichert is a former Republican congressman and former sheriff of King County who is now running for governor. His opponent is Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat who supported the criminal justice reforms that caused this crime crisis. He has since done a U-turn, saying he hopes to keep Washington residents safe.

But Jones is not going along with it, saying his “policies don't work for us, they don't work for the working class, they don't work for our poor communities.”

“Unfortunately, the only way people will really open their eyes to these things is if they knock on their door. It's not a question of if, but when and if that time comes. I think this will really open their eyes,” Jones said.

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Listen to the Jason Rantz Show weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason on X, formerly known as TwitterInstagram and Facebook.

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