Arizona Man Dies by Suicide After Backlash to Video of Him With Pants Down at Café Drive-Thru

The man's family reportedly confronted the staff of the coffee shop to say he fatally shot himself as a result of the recording.

January 18, 2025
Two white mugs filled with frothy coffee topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A man who was filmed driving up to a coffee shop without his pants on died by suicide shortly after the clip started to circulate online, TMZ reports.

Last week, police reported that Nautica Malone drove up to the drive-thru window at Bikini Beans Coffee in Tempe, Arizona, where an employee saw he didn't have pants on and alerted her manager, who then recorded Malone at the window naked from the waist down. The video landed online and went viral, with millions of people commenting on the incident.

According to its website, each barista at Bikini Beans Coffee wears a bikini. The concept is a "bold initiative to do what we want, love what we do, and never conform to anyone’s standard of what defines a successful uniform."

According to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner, Malone drove to nearby Goodyear, Arizona after the incident and shot himself in the head on Jan. 11. Police also stated on the night he died, Malone's family confronted the staff of the coffee shop, "stating Malone had killed himself over the incident."

In a statement to TMZ, Ben Lyles, the owner of Bikini Beans Coffee, called the incident "unfortunate" and "tragic" but alleged Malone had committed a crime while adding the safety of employees is a "top priority."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the individual involved during this difficult time," said Lyles. "This was an unfortunate and tragic situation. As a company, the safety our employees is always our top priority. In this case, an individual chose to commit a crime at one of our locations. We take incidents like this very seriously and remain committed to protecting our team and maintaining a safe and respectful environment."

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