Thieves attempt ATM heist by dragging machine away with stolen utility truck, Lake City police say

21/07/2023

LAKE CITY, Fla. – We would say you can’t make this up, but we’re pretty sure the “Fast and Furious” franchise already tried something similar.

Lake City police officers who responded to a bank alarm just before 5 a.m. Friday found something noticeably missing: the ATM near the drive-thru of the Ameris Bank on US 90 had been ripped from its foundation and drag marks trailed through the parking lot and grass, heading down the street.

Shortly after, another officer spotted a white utility truck headed north just a few minutes away on NW Bascom Norris Drive — dragging an ATM behind it.

Ameris Bank ATM theft scene (Provided by Lake City Police Department)

When the officer tried to pull the truck over, the two people inside ran off into a wooded area.

It turns out the truck used in the would-be heist was also stolen, according to police.

The Lake City Police Department called in help from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Baker Correctional Institution’s K-9 Unite, the Florida Highway Patrol’s Drone Unite and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Air Unit.

Despite the all-hands-on-deck search, the two have not been found.

FBI agents are also assisting with processing evidence at the scene.

Anyone with any information about the theft is asked to call the Lake City Police Department at 386-752-4343 and speak with Sgt. Kevin Johns.

References

^{^} After ATMs stolen from 3 Jacksonville Beach hotels, police search for suspects (www.news4jax.com)