Calay News
California authorities are currently conducting a search for two individuals who were captured on surveillance footage attempting to steal a bank’s drive-thru ATM using a forklift. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has announced a reward of up to $1,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the suspects involved in the incident, which took place on August 2 at a Safe Credit Union branch on Watt Avenue in North Sacramento.
The released footage reveals an unidentified individual maneuvering a forklift into position at the bank’s drive-thru ATM lane. Shortly thereafter, a white pickup truck backs up into the area, seemingly preparing for the heist. The forklift operator reappears and forcefully crashes into the ATM, knocking it over onto its side. The operator then attempts to impale the ATM, causing sparks to fly, and directs it towards the waiting truck. Ultimately, the suspects managed to load the ATM into the bed of the pickup truck.
However, as they attempt to escape, the stolen ATM falls out of the truck onto Watt Avenue, leading to an unrelated traffic collision. The suspects flee the scene and remain unidentified and at large. This incident echoes a similar event in Massachusetts, where two individuals fastened a chain to a Bank of America ATM in an attempt to tear it away using their pickup truck. They managed to evade capture and fled the scene.
In another recent case, a group of suspects used a stolen U-Haul truck to rip an ATM out of a Philadelphia grocery store. They backed the stolen truck up to the store’s front doors, attached a chain to the ATM, and forcibly removed it from the premises. These incidents underscore a concerning trend of criminals using heavy machinery to target ATMs, causing significant damage and posing a threat to public safety.
