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Renton police make arrest in tip jar theft

Renton police have made an arrest in a restaurant theft that ended with an employee being dragged under the suspect's car.           

RENTON, Wash. — There are two things missing at Gyros House in Renton; the restaurant's tip jar and a longtime worker who's now in the hospital with a bad case of road rash.

Owner Moussa Elmoussa said surveillance videos show a couple of committing capers.

Elmoussa said the pair came in Jan. 9, ordered and made small talk with the cooks.

Surveillance video shows a third person joined them for dinner. The man left first.

Elmoussa said the woman then swiped the tip jar, which had around $50 inside.

The thieves came back Thursday afternoon.

"See, she's walking in," said Elmoussa pointing at his computer screen.

The woman walked in and went straight for the tip jar with all of $4 inside.

A customer noticed and so did the cashier.

Line cook, Saife, also saw what happened and ran after the thief.

The employees then realized the woman had a getaway driver standing by.

"He tried to stop them and talk to them. When he got there, they ran him out," said Elmoussa.

Saife is still in the hospital with many injuries after being dragged about 60 feet under the getaway car.

Elmoussa says the Nissan car the thieves were in was actually rented, according to police.

This experience has been a painful lesson for the restaurant, which has this to say to both employees and thieves: "It's not worth it," said Elmoussa. "It's not worth it to ruin your life and somebody's life for a few dollars."

Renton police say they arrested a man connected to the thefts.