CHICAGO (CBS) — An unusual call for police.

Police load an ATM onto a truck and haul it away. CBS 2’s Suzanne Le Mignot officers got the machine back but the thieves got away.

Police sources said it’s believed the crew involved in these most recent ATM thefts is responsible for several others.

Chicago Police count the cash. It’s later put inside an evidence bag. The money came from two ATMs found on the 300 block of N. Parkside in South Austin inside a garage.

Sources said at least one of the ATMs had a tracking device. That led police to the West Side location. A black Jeep was also found near the scene. Inside it police discovered a gun and a bag of cash.

Illinois State Police were pursuing two black Jeep Cherokees Monday morning. The Elmhurst Police Department had put out an alert for two black Jeeps wanted for a robbery there. It’s not known if the incidents are connected.

The two SUVs also matched the description of the vehicles involved in ATM thefts more than a week ago on Chicago’s northwest side.

In surveillance video, two men are seen shattering the windows of a restaurant, crawling through broken windows and shaking an ATM free. The men loaded it into the back of a black Jeep. CBS 2 cameras captured police pursuing two black Jeeps and a black Dodge Charger after the theft.

David Tente is the Executive Director of the ATM Industry Association. Tente said ATM thefts can be linked to organized crime. While it’s unclear if that’s the case here, he said ATM crews often come from out of state and target specific areas.

“They attack as many as they can, get away with as much money as they can and next week it’s a different city,” said Tente. “Or maybe they come back again.”

After the ATMs were taken away by police in South Austin, a SWAT team arrived in the neighborhood. Police sources said the crew of ATM thieves was believed to be inside a home on the 300 block of Parkside.

No word on any arrests. Police sources said it’s believed the same crew is responsible for other ATM burglaries in Chicago over the past several months.

During a recent crew arrest several months ago, a SWAT team surrounded a home they were in. Some of the suspects ran from the house while money was falling out of their pockets.

Read More

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: