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Robbers Rip ATM Machine From Plano Gas Station

This is the third gas station robbery in two months
Melbourne,,Australia:,March,23,,2017:,7-eleven,Convenience,Store,The,Suburb
Photo: jax10289 | Shutterstock

A search is underway by the Plano Police Department for robbers who made off with cash by forcibly removing an ATM from a store using a pickup truck.

On May 25, at around 6:21 a.m., the Plano Police Department received a report of a burglary in the 3600 block of 14th Street.

According to  WFAA, three to four individuals, wearing dark clothing, hoods and gloves, positioned a pickup truck in front of the store. They took advantage of the clerk's presence at the counter and proceeded to shatter the glass near the ATM. They secured a chain around the machine and forcefully extracted it from the store using the truck, causing damage to the front glass in the process.

The Plano Police reported that because the robbery occurred shortly after sunrise, there was a notable presence of vehicles and pedestrians in the vicinity. A witness recorded a video, not released by police, from across the street. 

Law enforcement officers discovered the abandoned pickup truck at an apartment complex near Ada Street and 14th Street. Investigations indicate that the truck was likely stolen from Garland; however, no official report had been made regarding its theft at the time.  

WFAA reported two other 7-Elevens were targeted in the last two months, and multiple agencies across the DFW area are investigating similar crimes. However, police have not definitively linked the crimes. 

A nearly identical incident took place at a 7-Eleven store in Coppell two weeks earlier. Witnesses in the Coppell robbery informed the police that they observed a dark-colored truck reversing towards the store, carrying four or five individuals wearing ski masks, hoodies and gloves. The perpetrators shattered the store's window and secured the ATM using a cable, connecting it to their vehicle.

However, during their escape, the cable unexpectedly snapped, causing the group to abandon their efforts. The suspects promptly fled the scene in the truck, leaving the ATM behind at the store.