Thief yanks ATM out of Bend convenience store
A thief stole a small automated teller machine from inside K Market on Bend’s Westside around 3:30 Monday morning. An employee saw the broken glass when she arrived for work and called police.
Security footage from the store shows a dark-colored SUV backing into a parking spot in front of the store. Then a person gets out, wearing a hat and something over his or her face.
The suspect leans back against the store’s front window and swings a tool, breaking the window. A few seconds later, the culprit emerges with the store’s ATM in tow. The burglar manages to get the ATM to the car, and once it’s in the back, he or she drives away.
Bend police investigating the case are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect.
“Looks to be a potential male adult, maybe a new dark 4-Runner — that’s kind of speculative, let people kind of make that decision for themselves == but looked like he kind of knew what he was doing,” Lt. Brian Kindel said.
Kindel said ATM thefts are not unusual.
“ATMs are getting smaller, so they are getting easier to take,” he said. “They used to be bolted down pretty heavy. We’ve had maybe a couple in the last six to eight months in the Central Oregon area. So it does happen.”
A few of those include one in La Pine, at the Washington Federal Bank, where someone tried to use a forklift to steal an ATM, another in Sisters and one in Prineville.
Anyone with information on the crime, suspect or vehicle is asked to contact the Bend Police Department through the non-emergency line at 541–693–6911.
