Thieves dragging ATM from bank didn’t realize they left a big clue, Florida cops say

An ATM heist in Florida came unraveled when the masterminds apparently forgot the hefty machine would leave drag marks in the pavement, officials say.

The result was a trail of bread crumbs the led police to a bucket truck conspicuously dragging an ATM on a North Florida highway, the Lake City Police Department said in a news release.

It happened at 4:52 a.m. on Friday, July 21, at the Ameris Bank on West U.S. Highway 90. Lake City is about 60 miles west of Jacksonville.

“Upon arrival, officers discovered the ATM to be missing from its foundation near the drive-through. Drag marks could be seen on the asphalt leading through the Lake City Mall parking lot heading in a northeasterly direction,” police said.

“On-scene officers relayed the information to other responding officers. An officer observed a white utility truck traveling north, dragging an ATM on NW Bascom Norris Drive.”

ATMs can weigh as much as 1,800 pounds, so the suspects decided not to attempt a high-speed escape. Instead, they jumped out and ran as patrol cars closed in, officials said.

A photo shared by police shows the truck was left on the shoulder of the road, doors open and a heavily damaged ATM at its rear. Northwest Bascomb Norris Drive is about a half-mile from the bank.

“Both occupants fled on foot into a wooded area,” police said. “The Florida Highway Patrol’s Drone Unit and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Air Unit provided additional support in an attempt to locate the individuals in the heavily wooded area. The suspects have not been located.”

Investigators say the vehicle was stolen from Madison County, about 60 miles northwest of Lake City.

This story was originally published July 24, 2023 at 8:22 AM with the headline "Thieves dragging ATM from bank didn’t realize they left a big clue, Florida cops say."