Man stole from Starbucks tip jar, attempted to run over barista after he was refused $1.25 refund, police say

A man in Oklahoma may have to learn the value of a dollar the hard way. On Sunday, Richard Engle, 61, of Harrah, Oklahoma, about a half-hour east of Oklahoma City, was arrested after workers at a Starbucks in nearby Edmond claimed he stole $1 out of their tip jar.

The incident began the day before, on Saturday, when Engle's wife, whose name has not been released, ordered a drink at that Starbucks location. When she received her order, she found the drink unsatisfactory and complained to the staff, asking for a refund which would have amounted to $1.25. The staff refused and instead suggested she direct her complaint to the Starbucks corporate office.

The woman instead vented her frustration to Engle, her husband. Engle returned to the store on Sunday and repeated his wife's complaint. When the staff once again refused to issue a refund, Engle allegedly attempted to rectify the issue on his own. According to reports, Engle waited until the barista behind the counter turned and faced the other direction. With the person's back to him, Engle supposedly snatched $1 from the tip jar on the counter.

If he did, Engle was not nearly as sneaky about it as he thought he was. A Starbucks employee spotted him and followed him out of the store and into the parking lot, where the situation seems to have escalated considerably. While the Starbucks worker attempted to photograph or otherwise take note of Engle's license plate, Engle supposedly backed his Kia SUV into the worker multiple times before pulling away.

Police were somehow able to track Engle down at his Harrah residence and arrest him. He has been charged with robbery and assault. A search for Engle at the Oklahoma County Detention Center website did not yield any results, indicating he has already been released from custody. It is unclear when he is next expected to appear in court.

H/T: New York Post