SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police are investigating a series of crimes involving ATMs during a three-week period in July.
There have been at least three cash machines that have been burglarized since the middle of the month, as well as one robbery and one attempted theft that occurred, police records show.
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On July 13, police received a report of an ATM break-in in the 5000 block of Walzem Road, with the front of the machine removed and the cash boxes stolen.
Five days later, they found a similar scene at an ATM near Marbach Road and Hunt Lane.
Then July 27, someone broke into a free-standing cash machine at West Avenue and Basse Road, also getting away with the cash.
Police say the criminals used a chain and hook attached to a truck to yank open the machine. The trucks, which all turned out to be stolen, were abandoned nearby.
All those burglaries involved ATMs that belong to Chase Bank.
Although the cases shared quite a few similarities, a public information officer told KSAT 12 News he could not say for sure that the crimes are connected.
A fourth Chase Bank ATM recently was the site of a different type of crime.
A police report shows someone, also with a chain and truck, had tried unsuccessfully to steal the entire machine.
Additionally, police are investigating a robbery at a Bank of America ATM that happened last Friday.
A report shows two masked men forced a technician who was servicing the machine to hand over the cash.
That machine was still roped off with crime scene tape when Robert Campos drove up to it Monday morning.
“I’m surprised that it was closed,” he said, initially puzzled.
Campos had to use a different machine to complete his banking transaction.
He says protecting himself from crime is never far from his mind when he uses the money machines.
“I always lock the (car) door,” he said. “I look everywhere, and if I see a car with a guy inside, you know what? I’m gone.”
Police have offered advice recently, encouraging people to be aware of their surroundings when they use ATMs.
They also ask everyone to report any unusual activity they may see.
KSAT 12 News emailed a representative for Chase Bank a list of questions Monday regarding the rash of crimes involving that company’s ATMs.
As of late Monday morning, there had been no response to that email.
However, a previous statement from the bank said the break-ins do not affect customers’ deposits at ATMs because they are recorded when they are made.