Failed Int’l District robbery, carjackings shows man maybe isn’t cut out for crime

Cue the sad trombone.

A man is in jail after reportedly being talked out of stealing money from a cash register, failing to rob restaurant patrons and flubbing his attempts to persuade people to give him their cars in the International District on Thursday night.

A 40-year-old man entered a restaurant in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue South about 8 p.m. and instructed employees to pass him all the cash in the register, according to police reports. He reportedly flashed a long, metal cylinder, prompting restaurant staff to believe the man was armed with a gun.

But the workers told the robber to take the tip jar, which held about $15, reports say.

The robber grabbed the jar, then demanded money from several customers in the restaurant, according to Seattle police.

The customers apparently weren’t up to giving their cash to a stranger, so the man switched gears and tried to incite a collective dine-and-dash, saying he was “there to help” them escape the restaurant, police reports say.

The patrons remained unimpressed, so the faltering bandit tried to kick open a side door. However, kicking the locked door caused him to bounce backward and onto the floor.

The robber found another escape route, ran to a door and kicked a restaurant worker on his way out, according to police.

After running to a nearby parking lot, the man tried to swipe a woman’s car keys from her hand as she stood next to her car, but instead his actions prompted her to film his follies with her cell phone.

The man then took off across the street to a gas station, where he tried to jack another man’s car. The car owner declined the request to hand over his keys, but offered to give the robber a ride (how nice).

The robber refused the offer and went inside the gas station to purchase a beverage, reports say. He took a breather behind the building.

By that time, police arrived and detained the man.

He told officers he was armed with a flashlight, not a gun. He said he entered the restaurant after hearing screams emanating from inside the building.

Police searched the man and found only $7 and a cell phone. It’s unknown what happened to the reported $15 in tip jar money.

Cops booked the man into jail for investigation of robbery.

Lynsi Burton