Starbucks Employee Caught Stealing, Busted By Livid Customer In Viral Video [VIDEO]

Juana Martinez got sweet revenge on a Starbucks employee for stealing her credit card information and going on an impromptu shopping spree.

According to the New York Daily News, the entire incident began on Friday at a Starbucks in Lakewood, Calif. Martinez placed her order and then waited for the Starbucks cashier to bring back her card and a copy of her receipt. The victim later admitted that she felt somewhat suspicious about how long it took the teen culprit (whose identity has yet to be released) to bring back the card and receipt. It only took about a day for those suspicions to be realized.

On Saturday, the woman discovered a $212 bill on her credit card, linked to purchases made at a Ralphs supermarket. Juana’s instincts told her the Starbucks worker was behind stealing her money, and a security camera at the store reportedly confirmed it.

This Starbucks employee is caught stealing credit card info, but claims she’s a “good child” https://t.co/8R6fW1kpoc pic.twitter.com/VQ0FSJhOhU

— What’s Trending (@WhatsTrending) January 6, 2016

The story could have ended there. However, Juana was too angry to pass up the opportunity to confront the Starbucks cashier who stole from herself and her children. On Sunday, after contacting the police and Starbucks about the theft, Juana Martinez, her brother, and children went through the drive thru. In the video, she admits that the confrontation was filmed to “get even” with the young woman for taking money from her household. When the family pulled up, the sticky-fingered teen was at the window working as if nothing had happened.

Unable to contain her indignation, she called the employee a “fraud a**.” The Starbucks employee seemed puzzled until the victim broke it down for her.

“We’ve got you on camera yesterday at Ralphs for $212!”

The full video is available and has already gone viral. You can see the entire exchange below. Be warned; there are quite a few “F-bombs” dropped in the clip.

If you watched the video, you could see the exact moment when it dawns on the culprit’s face just how much trouble she’s really in. It’s one thing to be caught stealing; it’s another thing to be caught stealing and then be confronted by the woman you took money from. On top of being busted for stealing? Knowing that you’re in the middle of what is probably your final day on the job. Ouch.

At first, the Starbucks cashier appeared to feign ignorance, as if she had no idea she’d been caught stealing. However, faced with the fact that she was seen on camera committing the theft, the 19-year-old began to apologize profusely for her behavior.

“I’m sorry I took money from you and your kids…I’m sorry you had to come up here…I’m sorry that this is inconvenient for you.”

The thief declared that she was a “good child,” swearing that the behavior was out of character for her. She said that she was in school and that she plays soccer. Juana Martinez was unmoved, firing back with a question: “How would you even make a copy of my card?” The speed and efficiency with which the teen thief was able to do so certainly suggested this wasn’t a one-time act.

Starbucks cashier fired after admitting on video to stealing customer’s credit card info https://t.co/7frLj3f5Ff pic.twitter.com/L8wKsbhZZz

— KTLA (@KTLA) January 5, 2016

The Starbucks employee didn’t reveal exactly how she broke the law, only continuing to apologize and beg the irate woman not to press charges. She even offered to pay the woman back the money owed as long as she didn’t report the crime. The plea fell on deaf ears as Juana Martinez filed a police report immediately after the confrontation was filmed.

According to KTLA, the thief was fired by Starbucks. A spokesperson for the company released a statement to KTLA via email in response to the viral news story.

“We were extremely troubled to learn of this incident, and we have been working directly with the customer to address this situation. We value our customers’ trust, and this experience was completely unacceptable. We will support local authorities in any investigation. At this point, I can confirm that this partner (employee) no longer works for Starbucks.”

The video was released to mainly positive reactions, although some commenters on social media have questioned the need to humiliate the girl for stealing. Much of the skepticism for recording the clip stems from the fact that the victim didn’t really lose anything. In the viral video, she admitted that the stolen money was replaced by the bank — so, in the end, she wasn’t actually harmed.

However, Juana said something else in the video that may explain her thinking, which is that “you come to Starbucks to get coffee, not to get robbed.” Every single day, millions of people hand over their credit cards at checkout counters and drive-thru windows, trusting that the information won’t be stolen.

Perhaps the humiliation of a former Starbucks cashier will serve as a warning to those contemplating stealing credit card information while on the job. Not only could you be caught, but then you could find yourself exposed before the entire world as a thief.

Do you think the victim was right or wrong to film the confession of the Starbucks employee she caught stealing from her? Share your thoughts on the video below!

[Image Via Disturb Reality/YouTube]