PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Law enforcement agencies are trying to figure out who is behind a rash of ATM burglaries across the South Sound.
Several instances have been caught on camera, showing thieves breaking through front doors and glass to access the machines. In many of the cases, they tie a tow strap around the machine to rip it out.
On November 29, Hoarder’s Attic owner Michael Kennish reported his ATM stolen, noting thieves used a blue Dodge Ram pickup to try and get it. But they were not successful. Surveillance video shows the thieves checking the machine after trying to rip it out, noticing Kennish had emptied it and left the door to the ATM open in an attempt to deter them.
“Instead of getting away with any money, they ended up just breaking our door and leaving,” Kennish said.
On November 30th, thieves used a stolen bulldozer to rip an ATM from a Puyallup drive-thru, using a Ford Pickup to get away. Those suspects made off with the cash, which was not the case in two attempted thefts at the start of December.
On December 9th, a video posted by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department shows a flatbed truck back into the front of the Walgreens on Pacific Avenue in Parkland, smashing the windows. Several suspects jump out to tie the strap around the ATM and try to rip it from the ground. They were unsuccessful, leaving the cash and thousands of dollars in damage behind.
Kennish feels for the people who work there, saying, “It’s very painful, it’s a small family business, and we don’t have the money to be repairing the front of our store on a regular business.”
He’s hesitant to file with his insurance over fear they may drop him after a similar theft happened last summer. He’s fortified his business, adding cameras, stronger doors, and glass-break sensors. He estimates the damage is up to around $8K.
The Gig Harbor Police Department estimates an attempted robbery Friday morning will cost $60,000 to repair. There, thieves in a U-Haul suspected to have been stolen tried the same tactic of using the vehicle to pull the cash out of the ground. They also failed, and a police officer was able to track one of the two suspects down with the help of a police dog. For the Parkland case, investigators are hoping people can watch the video to identify the suspects.
“The specific clothing might be something a family member or a friend or acquaintance may have seen that type of clothing from a past encounter,” said Deputy Carly Cappetto with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
Cappetto says it’s too early in the investigation to determine if the thefts are related, but PCSD will work with other agencies to try and track the suspects down.
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