The staff at Borracchini's Bakery, 2307 Rainier Ave. S., is proving that it's tough to keep a good business down by bouncing back from a violent armed robbery attempt within hours after gunmen stormed the South End store last week.
According to the Seattle Police Department's incident report filed by officers Wells and Ornelas at the South Precinct, two men in their mid-20s entered the business at 5:31 a.m. on Tue., Sept. 12. The men wore dark clothing and one of them carried a handgun.
Shortly before the officers arrived, a witness spotted one of the robbers fleeing the scene in an "older, dark-colored vehicle, slightly lowered to the ground" driving southbound along 24th Avenue South. At the scene, officers discovered two employees, one a 37-year-old man lying face down with "duct tape around his eyes, mouth, hands and ankles." Nearby lay another employee, a 43-year-old man, with "duct tape around his ankles."
While escorting the two victims from the store, the officers learned there were two robbers involved and did a subsequent sweep of the store. After clearing the building, the officers called in the police department's robbery unit. As of press time, the two male suspects were still at large and the investigation is ongoing, according to the department's media relations office.
Borracchini's Bakery is currently run by Remo, son of founders Mario and Maria Borracchini, and has been a family business since it was established in 1923. The bakery has been located in the same Rainier Valley building since its inception and has built up a deep and loyal customer base on the quality of the their breads and wedding cakes.
When asked if the robbery had held up the bakery's operations in any significant way, especially considering Borracchini's is scheduled to partake in the Sept. 23-24 Italian Festival at the Seattle Center, manager Traci LeCount said no. The bakery has been a sponsor of the event for 19 years, according to festival organizer Dennis Caldirola.
"We bake everything fresh," said LeCount. "We don't start preparing for the Italian Festival until Thursday or Friday. The bread will be baked on the day of the festival."
Chased away
LeCount was on the scene when the gunmen entered the store, and said the two robbers got in through an unlocked employees' door entering onto the oven room.
The men came in at an increasingly busy time of day when LeCount said the morning shift bakers, delivery and garbage people, decorators and coffee clerks are coming and going. At the time of the robbery, LeCount said five people were in the store with two more expected at any time for their 6 a.m. shifts.
"I think that the gunman thought that they were the only ones in the store," opined LeCount when asked about the two men, both bakers, whom the robbers immobilized with duct tape.
LeCount added that she felt this way because when the robbers encountered one of the morning shift decorators, a 51-year-old woman, in a nearby room, both of the criminals had taken off the masks and gloves the subdued bakers said they were wearing. Surprised, one of the men lashed out at the decorator, throwing her to the ground, kicking her body and pistol-whipping her in the head. She was later treated by emergency personnel on the scene for pain to her head, mouth, legs and neck before being transported to Providence Hospital for further evaluation.
The woman screamed during the attack, which drew LeCount to the back of the store to see what was happening.
"I saw him going for the girls," said LeCount, who shouted for the men to get out. She didn't notice one of the men was armed and immediately dialed 911.
At this point the robber moved toward LeCount, grabbed the phone and hung up on the dispatcher. Soon after, the men decided to flee, and LeCount managed to escape the store to a neighbor's home to finish her 911 phone call.
In all, the robbers made off with one of the bound baker's wallets holding an undisclosed amount of cash.
"They didn't demand anything," remembered LeCount, who said they were only in the store for a total of 10 minutes. "We only had change. They were going to take $100 in pennies. We don't keep a lot of money here."
Most of the bakery's funds are kept in a large drop safe, which LeCount said only a few people have access to during the day when the public is bustling about the store.
"I can't stress enough that we've never had a problem like this," LeCount said, who noted the store's management is installing a new, more secure door on the employees' entrance. "I've never felt unsafe here. It's a good neighborhood and it's a nice store. It's just a random act that nobody thought would happen."
Erik Hansen may be reached via editor@sdistrictjournal.com or by calling him at 461-1311.
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