Another Armed Robbery at a Cumbayá Café Caught on Camera — Second Attack in Five Weeks in Quito's Top Expat Valley

If you live in Cumbayá, this is getting harder to ignore.

What Happened — February 9

On Monday, February 9, at approximately 10:20 AM, two armed men entered a café at the intersection of García Moreno and Vía del Ferrocarril in Cumbayá — one of the busiest commercial corridors in Quito's eastern valley.

The attackers:

• Wore black clothing and motorcycle helmets, preventing facial identification
• Carried firearms
• Demanded money and belongings from both employees and customers at gunpoint
• Fled on a motorcycle

The robbery was captured on the establishment's security cameras, and the video has been circulating widely on social media and news outlets.

The Policía Judicial (Criminal Investigation Police) and intelligence units are conducting operations in Cumbayá and surrounding sectors. Security cameras from the area are being reviewed to identify the motorcycle and advance the investigation.

The January 7 Robbery

This is the second armed café robbery in Cumbayá in just five weeks.

On January 7 at 1:49 PM, three armed men — also wearing motorcycle helmets — entered Boker Tov, a popular café owned by social media influencer Michelle Katz (known online as @michellekatzd). The attackers threatened customers and staff, stealing cellphones and laptops.

The January robbery generated enormous public attention because of Katz's large social media following and her emotional public response:

"Sentimos el miedo y la impotencia que hoy compartimos muchos ecuatorianos." (We feel the fear and helplessness that many Ecuadorians share today.)

"Uno no ve la gravedad del país hasta que la delincuencia te toca la puerta." (You don't see how serious the country's situation is until crime knocks on your door.)

A customer, Daniela Córdova, noted the lack of security: "Cero guardias y seguridad. Apenas una cámara al interior." (Zero guards and security. Just one interior camera.)

Police tracked one suspect to a rental property at Italia and Mariana de Jesús streets through a stolen phone's GPS, but were unable to search the premises or make an arrest without a warrant. The suspect was released.

Mónica Heller, president of Quito's Chamber of Commerce, responded publicly: living under insecurity should not normalize violence, and she urged concrete action from authorities.

The Pattern

Both robberies share a nearly identical profile:

| Detail | January 7 | February 9 | |--------|-----------|------------| | Location | Boker Tov, Cumbayá | García Moreno & Vía del Ferrocarril | | Time | 1:49 PM | 10:20 AM | | Attackers | 3 armed men | 2 armed men | | Disguise | Motorcycle helmets | Motorcycle helmets | | Targets | Phones, laptops | Money, belongings | | Transport | Motorcycles | Motorcycle | | Injuries | None | None |

The method is consistent: helmet-wearing assailants arrive on motorcycles, enter a café in broad daylight, threaten everyone at gunpoint, grab electronics and cash, and leave within minutes. The helmets prevent identification. The motorcycles allow rapid escape through Cumbayá's side streets.

What This Means for Expats

• Cumbayá is a target: The Tumbaco/Cumbayá valley has one of the highest concentrations of expats and upper-middle-class Ecuadorians in the Quito metro area. Cafés and restaurants in the zone are visible, accessible targets
• Situational awareness: Avoid sitting with laptops and phones visible near doorways. Choose interior tables. Be aware of anyone entering wearing helmets
• Don't resist: Both robberies ended without injuries because victims complied. Phones and laptops are replaceable
• Secure your devices: Enable Find My iPhone/Google Find My Device. Use strong passwords. Consider laptop tracking software. Back up to the cloud regularly — if your device is stolen, your data shouldn't be
• Business owners: Consider hiring private security, installing multiple camera angles, and coordinating with neighboring businesses on shared security protocols
• Report everything: Call ECU 911 for emergencies and file a denuncia (police report) at your nearest Fiscalía office. Even if recovery is unlikely, reports help police identify patterns and allocate resources

Sources: Expreso, Vistazo, Extra