A bungled attempt by five masked men to steal an ATM containing $641,000 in cash has been laid bare in official police reports, revealing a meticulously planned operation that unravelled after a stolen backhoe broke down at the crucial moment.
The reports detail how two security officers on duty at the Courland Beach Sports Arena were ambushed shortly before midnight on Wednesday by two men dressed in dark clothing, one armed with a firearm.
The guards were searched and ordered to hand over the keys to a white Mitsubishi truck and a yellow Caterpillar backhoe.
When they said they did not have the keys, the gunmen searched bags and storage areas before forcing the guards to lie face down on the ground. Their hands and feet were tied while the suspects, one wearing a cape and hood resembling comic book hero Batman, warned that another accomplice was watching from the fence line and that they were not to move.
Moments later, the guards heard the truck and backhoe being driven away. After freeing themselves, they discovered that $200 had been stolen from one guard’s wallet. The stolen Mitsubishi truck was valued at $412,000, while the Caterpillar backhoe was valued at $850,000, bringing the total value of the stolen equipment to $1.262 million.
Just over two hours later, at about 2.05 a.m., a resident living above the First Citizens Bank ATM at Supreme Plaza on Shelbourne Street, Plymouth, was awakened by what sounded like a vehicle crashing into the building.
Looking from an upstairs office, he saw a masked man operating the stolen backhoe as it smashed through the wall housing the ATM. Nearby, a white three-tonne truck waited with four other masked men.
The witness contacted police and watched as the backhoe ripped the ATM vault from the building. The gang then attempted repeatedly to lift the heavy vault onto the waiting truck.
Their plan, however, fell apart when the backhoe became disabled after sustaining damage during the demolition, leaving the men unable to load the machine.
Forced to abandon the operation, the suspects fled in the stolen truck, leaving behind both the damaged backhoe and the ATM vault.
Police said the building sustained an estimated $185,000 in damage, while two First Citizens Bank signs valued at $40,000 were destroyed.
An ATM officer later confirmed that the abandoned vault, valued at $238,000, still contained $641,000 in cash.
Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage showing the five masked suspects during the attempted heist.
Police have since identified two suspects and investigations into the failed robbery are continuing.
