The quiet of Christmas Eve was shattered before dawn in Fort Worth, Texas, as thieves brazenly attempted to rip an ATM from a 7-Eleven convenience store. Their tool of choice: a stolen SUV and a heavy-duty cable, used to drag the massive machine through the store’s front doors.
Security footage released by the White Settlement Police Department paints a startling picture. Two figures, cloaked in dark clothing and concealing their faces, moved with a chilling efficiency, smashing through the glass entrance and immediately setting to work on the ATM.
Investigators believe the duo arrived in a stolen SUV, already prepared to hook the cable to the ATM. One suspect used a metal object to initially breach the store, creating the opening for their audacious heist.
The attempt wasn’t seamless. It took two determined pulls to dislodge the ATM from its moorings. But as the thieves sped away, their prize unexpectedly broke free, tumbling from the cable and left behind in their wake.
The scene inside the store was one of chaos. Debris, shattered glass, and scattered merchandise littered the floor, extending out into the parking lot – a testament to the force used in the failed robbery.
Police quickly recovered the abandoned ATM, but the thieves remained at large. The black SUV, also reported stolen from Dallas, was located a short distance from the scene thanks to the city’s network of license plate readers and surveillance cameras.
This incident isn’t isolated. Authorities suspect a connection to a recent surge in similar convenience store crimes across North Texas, suggesting a coordinated pattern of theft.
Detectives are now appealing to the public for assistance in identifying the suspects, hoping to unravel the full scope of this escalating crime wave and bring those responsible to justice.
