On Christmas Eve, a daring attempt to steal an ATM unfolded at a Texas convenience store. Thieves used a stolen SUV and a metal cable to try and drag the machine through the store’s front, but their plan unraveled when the ATM detached as they made their getaway, according to police reports.
The incident, which occurred at a 7-Eleven in Fort Worth, was captured on surveillance footage shared by the White Settlement Police Department. The video reveals two suspects towing the ATM through the store’s glass doors before hastily driving off.
This attempted theft, happening just before 4 a.m. on Wednesday, might be part of a spate of similar crimes targeting convenience stores across North Texas in recent weeks, authorities suggested.
Police are calling on the community to assist in identifying the suspects, as they explore whether this failed heist is linked to a larger crime spree.
Details from the White Settlement police indicate that the two men arrived at the store in the stolen SUV, dressed in dark clothing and with their faces obscured for anonymity.
White Settlement police said in a statement that two men traveled to the store parking lot in the stolen SUV wearing dark-colored clothing with their faces covered.
One of the men smashed the front door with a metal object and attached a cable to the ATM that was already hooked to the vehicle, investigators said.
Officers found extensive damage to the storefront, with debris, shelving and merchandise scattered throughout the store and into the parking lot.
Two men attempted to steal an ATM from a gas station in Fort Worth, Texas, by dragging it through the window. (Fort Worth Police Department)
Police said it took two attempts for the thieves to get the ATM out of the store.
The ATM was dislodged from the vehicle as the suspects fled and was later recovered by police.
Two thieves attempted to steal an ATM on Christmas Eve by towing it through the front of a Texas convenience store with an SUV, but the machine broke free as they fled, police said. (Fort Worth Police)
The black SUV had been stolen in Dallas, investigators added.
Police used license plate readers and city cameras throughout the city to try and locate it about a half-mile from the store.
