|
Monday's Internet Edition, January 05, 2009.
Attempted theft of ATM leaves damage at RM Country Store
|
Photo by Wendy Smith
In the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 14, two suspects attempted to steal the ATM inside the Country Store in Rancho Murieta, which also houses Burger King. The suspects were unable to steal the ATM because it was securely bolted to the floor, but damage was done to the door and wall of the store.
|
By Wendy Smith
River Valley Times Staff
-
Rancho Murieta Security patrol Officer Tom Coyle, responding to a reported alarm just after 4 a.m. Sunday, Sept 14, found the Country Store/ Burger King in a state of destruction after an unsuccessful attempt to steal the ATM inside the store.
According to RM Community Services District Security Chief Greg Remson, there were two unknown suspects who attempted to steal the ATM. “North Gate Officer Brenda Murphy reported an audible alarm coming from the Country Store area at approximately 3:50 a.m. and officer Coyle responded," Remson said. "When he arrived there were no suspects present.”
The owner and Sacramento Sheriff’s Department were notified, according to Remson. A review of the security video by SSD deputies and CSD Security showed a pick-up truck backing up to the door, a suspect emerging and throwing a rock through the glass door of the Burger King, then looping a chain/cable around the base of the ATM.
According to Remson, the chain/cable was attached to the rear of the truck, and the suspects attempted to dislodge the ATM twice unsuccessfully due to the fact that the ATM was bolted to the floor.
“After their second failed attempt, the suspects left, leaving behind the chain/cable,” said Remson. “The whole incident took no longer than a minute and a half.”
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sergeant Tim Curran said this is not the first time this type of robbery has occurred in the county. “In the past several months there have been two successful ATM thefts,” said Curran.
The first theft occurred at the Folsom Outlets, where an ATM was similarly pulled out of a store with a vehicle. “Both the vehicle and the ATM were recovered at the intersection of Kiefer and Sunrise several days later,” Curran said.
The second such theft occurred mere days after the first at the Nimbus Winery. According to Curran, neither the vehicle nor the ATM was recovered from that incident.
In both thefts occurring in Folsom the vehicles were stolen, leading Curran to speculate that the Sept. 14 incident in RM was similar and the truck involved may not have belonged to the perpetrators.
While Country Store manager Harry Singh may not have lost his ATM, the suspects left costly damage. According to Singh, the door and wall next to the door were entirely destroyed. The floor around the ATM was also damaged from the truck attempting to tow the machine away.
“I’m estimating the damage at about $8,000,” said Singh. “Between the door, the wall and replacing the ATM—which, while it wasn’t stolen was damaged so badly that it no longer works—it ends up being very expensive to repair and replace it all.”
Singh added that he is planning on installing additional security cameras. He hopes that CSD Security will also be able to pay extra attention to the area so that future robberies may be prevented. “This is a nice area,” Singh said. “But things like this happen sometimes, and you just have to be prepared.”
The SSD is following leads, but the department does not have any suspects at this time, according to Curran. Singh stated that he believes SSD officers will be coming by in the next week to go over his security tapes in more detail.
|
Online publication, Copyright 2005, The River Valley Times.
Web page design,
Copyright 2005, EZ Edit Web Publishing.
|
|
| |