HOUSTON – Police said suspects used sledgehammers to smash their way into a northeast Houston store and grab the ATM machine.
Officials said it happened around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning in the 6300 block of Eastland in northeast Houston.
Surveillance video showed the men, who covered their faces, breaking in, beating the ATM with sledgehammers and driving away with it in a pickup truck.
Johnny Nguyen has owned the store for two years. He thought his ATM was well protected by being bolted into the ground by foot-long screws.
Nguyen estimated that the cost to replace the ATM will be $10,000, but he said he will have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to repair the damage the suspects did to the store.
Police said they have already made progress in the case. They said the suspects may have left behind fingerprints on the ATM, part of which they found down the street from the scene.
If you have information about this crime, please call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
Houston police said this type of crime is trending because it's seeming low risk for criminals and they can get cash fast.