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Front End Loader Used In Attempt To Steal Bank ATMs
POSTED: 6:51 am EDT October 22,
2007
UPDATED: 3:51 pm EDT October 22,
2007
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. -- It was a smash and grab crime that was all smash and no grab. Investigators are looking for a would-be crook who used a front end loader to crash into the Bank of America on State Road 434 in Longwood.
SLIDESHOW: Images Of Damage Done To Bank
Crews were working Monday afternoon to repair the damage at the band, but that could take several days.Employees of the Bank of America in Longwood were telling their customers Monday to take care of business at another branch, since the one on State Road 434 won't be open for a few more days."I'm stunned. It's a crazy world. I don't know what to say," said bank customer John Cioca.At around 11:45 Sunday night, someone drove a front end loader through two automated teller machines to either take them or break into them. When fully stocked with $20 bills, ATMs can hold about $80,000."They got an A for effort and an F for form. They actually crushed the ATMs where they didn't have access to it," said Lt. Barry Smith, Seminole County Sheriff's Office.The front end loader was taken from a construction site around the corner on Wekiva Springs Road. It's a John Deer with a universal key, so anyone with a similar machine can use that key to drive off with a heavy piece of equipment from any construction site.Whoever committed the crime left the front end loader at the bank and left the scene without any money."We set up a pretty wide perimeter. We did a pretty thorough search of the area and were unable to turn anything up," Smith said.Detectives had hoped surveillance video from the bank, which was not released, would help them find the suspect, but the cameras inside the bank apparently didn't get a very good description of the would-be robber.
SLIDESHOW: Images Of Damage Done To BankCrews were working Monday afternoon to repair the damage at the band, but that could take several days.Employees of the Bank of America in Longwood were telling their customers Monday to take care of business at another branch, since the one on State Road 434 won't be open for a few more days."I'm stunned. It's a crazy world. I don't know what to say," said bank customer John Cioca.At around 11:45 Sunday night, someone drove a front end loader through two automated teller machines to either take them or break into them. When fully stocked with $20 bills, ATMs can hold about $80,000."They got an A for effort and an F for form. They actually crushed the ATMs where they didn't have access to it," said Lt. Barry Smith, Seminole County Sheriff's Office.The front end loader was taken from a construction site around the corner on Wekiva Springs Road. It's a John Deer with a universal key, so anyone with a similar machine can use that key to drive off with a heavy piece of equipment from any construction site.Whoever committed the crime left the front end loader at the bank and left the scene without any money."We set up a pretty wide perimeter. We did a pretty thorough search of the area and were unable to turn anything up," Smith said.Detectives had hoped surveillance video from the bank, which was not released, would help them find the suspect, but the cameras inside the bank apparently didn't get a very good description of the would-be robber.
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