MURFREESBORO, TN — It’s been nearly two weeks since Murfreesboro’s Criminal Investigations Division was handed the case of the Great ATM Heist, and so far, the thieves are proving themselves masters of the disappearing act Four men, a stolen GMC Sierra, and a trio of support vehicles managed to execute a 5:33 a.m. smash-and-grab at the 7-Eleven Exxon on South Church Street, right in front of customers and an undoubtedly horrified store clerk.
The audacious criminals didn’t even wait for a lull in customers, nor for the store to close or even for the employee to hit the head. They literally blazed in, wrapped a cable around the ATM machine, and yanked it out the storefront glass.
Surveillance footage shows one thief casually tying a steel cable around the ATM as though it were a weekend yard project. The driver, showing about as much concern for property damage as a bull in a china shop, gunned the engine and yanked the ATM clean off its foundation. The crew then hoisted the machine into the truck bed and sped off, leaving shattered glass, confused witnesses, and probably one very traumatized clerk in their wake.
But don’t worry—justice is on their trail, and perhaps you can help. The GMC Sierra, that was initially stolen from a residence on Veterans Parkway, was found abandoned on Rutherford Boulevard, along with the mangled ATM, but, of course, the thieves were nowhere to be found. Even their supporting cast of vehicles—including a stolen Chevy Suburban, a Dodge Charger, and an Infiniti SUV—seemed to be playing musical parking lots. The good news is that the Suburban has since been recovered; however, the Charger and Infiniti remain elusive.
Detectives have their work cut out for them, especially since these thieves were spotted on video congregating behind a church on Veterans Parkway before the heist, apparently holding a pre-theft strategy meeting. So far, there’s been no word on whether the church location was a coincidence or if divine intervention was part of their escape plan.
If you’ve seen anything—or maybe turn on your partners in crime if you didn't get a fair cut of the loot, contact MPD Detective Ed Gorham today because he'd love a call! His digits are 629-201-5507. Until then, Murfreesboro remains on edge, waiting to see if this smash-and-grab gang will resurface for an encore performance.
On a positive note, no injuries were reported during the heist—a surprising outcome given the reckless nature of the smash-and-grab theft. Aside from the ATM itself, no customers or employees were harmed. (MORE: See our original news story on this particular ATM theft HERE).
If you enjoyed this story, WGNS has more ATM thefts to tell you about. In fact, you can thumb through a variety of previously reported theft cases that have involved an ATM machine in some form or fashion by clicking HERE.
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