CUPERTINO – A couple suspected of trying to take a coveted cup from a South Bay store by force earlier this year has been arrested following an extensive investigation, according to authorities.
The incident happened on Jan. 3 at the Target located at 20745 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino, Santa Clara County sheriff’s Deputy Felicia Segura said in a news release.
Customers were gathered at the store for the release of the winter pink Starbucks x Stanley tumbler, according to Segura.
Segura said the store declined to sell the limited-edition 40-ounce cup to the couple – a man and a woman in their 20s – after other customers said they had cut the line.
In response, the man jumped over the counter of the Starbucks inside the Target, knocking a barista out of the way, and grabbed a box containing one of the cups, according to Segura.
The man tried to run past a customer who was blocking the exit and was tackled to the ground, Segura said. The woman punched the customer, which gave the man time to stand up, and tried to snatch a bag containing one of the cups, according to Segura.
The couple left the scene before deputies arrived and remained at large until Tuesday, when the sheriff’s office Fugitive Apprehension and Surveillance Team arrested them. Segura said they were booked into the Main Jail in San Jose on robbery charges.
The cups have soared in popularity in recent years, with restocks selling out in minutes and videos rapidly going viral on social media, according to the company. They have also become a target for thieves. In January, a 23-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of stealing five dozen cups worth $2,500 from a Northern California store.