Friday morning incident remains under investigation
By Sam Catanzaro
Two suspects ultimately were unsuccessful in an attempt to tow an ATM from a Santa Monica bank using a stolen pickup truck last week.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), on July 22, around 1:40 a.m., officers responded to the Chase Bank located at 2701 Wilshire Boulevard regarding a theft in-progress. The reporting party stated that two suspects had used a pickup truck to try to steal an ATM.
“The call text stated the pickup truck was still at the location however the subjects had fled the area,” the SMPD said.
When SMPD officers arrived on the scene, they found a black Ford pickup truck still running with its doors open.
“It had a chain attached to the rear tow hitch which had pulled the bank ATM off a center island median and it was left lying face down in the middle of the parking lot,” the SMPD said.
A records check revealed the truck had been stolen from Santa Monica the previous day.
A resident said he heard what he described as a loud crashing noise from outside. He saw two subjects exit the pickup truck and flee east through the alley, possibly getting into another vehicle.
SMPD officers towed the vehicle and held it for processing.
This incident remains under investigation by the SMPD.
Chase declined to comment on the incident, citing the active investigation.
