ATM thieves use SUV to smash into CVS near St. Petersburg, leave empty-handed
By JACK ROYER, RUBÉN ROSARIO
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PALMETTO, Florida (WSVN) — A pair of brazen burglars were caught on camera as they crashed into a CVS near St. Petersburg looking for some quick cash, but despite their best efforts, they came away from the ATM ambush empty-handed.
The security footage shows a person in a yellow hoodie with their face covered pushing on the glass doors of the pharmacy located in Palmetto, early Wednesday morning.
The subject left, then returned with force minutes later.
Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler described the smashing entrance that followed.
“He stands aside, and the SUV backs through the doors, rams the doors,” he said.
The SUV crashed into the glass, not just once, but twice.
The target appearing to be just inside: an ATM located to the left of the entrance, seen on the upper right hand side of the frame.
“He pulls a cable out of the SUV, wraps it around the ATM. I guess they figured they were going to rip the ATM out and either cart it away or get the money out,” said Tyler. “When they arrived, they seemed to have had a pretty good idea of where the ATM was located, and they brought just enough material, just enough cable to get from the SUV to the ATM.”
The subject in the hoodie and another driving the SUV succeeded in destroying the ATM, splitting it in half.
But Tyler said getting the money out was a different story.
“There’s not a great deal of money that’s kept in the ATM,” he said.
Police are still searching for the two thieves and the SUV they were in.
As for the actual heist, the crooks left empty-handed, since they failed to remove the other half of the machine.
“The effort kind of outweighs the gain,” said Tyler.
But once they’re found, Tyler said, this pair will be heading to jail.
“We’re looking at burglary, we’re looking at, you know, the damage to the building,” said Tyler. “CVS is still trying to repair the damage and, of course, what they did to the ATM machine.”
Police said the tag was removed from the SUV, but they are following up on tips they have received.
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