Police investigate ATM thefts and attempted thefts in multiple towns

By Jay Kenney, Marcy Jones, Rob Polansky and Dylan Fearon

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    MANCHESTER, Connecticut (WFSB) — Police investigations were underway at convenience stores in a number of towns because of ATM thefts and attempted thefts.

Departments in Vernon, Manchester, Wallingford, and Milford said they have been investigating similar incidents.

Around 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday in Manchester, police officers were sent to investigate a burglary at the Mobil on West Middle Turnpike.

They said there was an attempt to steal an ATM from inside the store.

Brasad Maganti, owner of Mobil Mart Manchester, said he came to work to find broken windows, the inside trashed, and the ATM ruined.

Maganti told Channel 3 that whoever did it tied a rope around the ATM and to the bumper of a car. However, the ATM was too tightly bolted to the floor, so they failed.

No one was injured.

“We just want to clean it up and call the window people to fix it,” Maganti said. “It’s going to be a normal business after, only thing is a little painful today.”

No suspect description was immediately available.

According to officials, the incident seems similar to recent crimes in surrounding towns.

Vernon police told Channel 3 that officers responded around 1:40 a.m. on Wednesday to an alarm at a Valero on Talcottville Road.

Officers reported that they found that suspects tried to take an ATM from inside the store.

“Three suspects left in a blue hatchback-style vehicle,” Vernon police noted.

In Wallingford on Tuesday around 4:40 a.m., police in town said the Valero gas station on North Turnpike was hit. Officers found that the store was broken in to and that the ATM was stolen by several suspects.

The same day about 20 minutes later, Wallingford police reported that a suspicious vehicle was spotted in front of Alien Vape and Smoke Shop on North Colony Road. Several hooded and masked suspects were seen leaving the store with items in their hands. When officers arrived, they said they got into a vehicle and fled at a high rate of speed onto Route 15. In that case, the ATM was only moved and not stolen.

“I do not know definitively if the crimes are connected yet,” said Lt Stephen Jacques, Wallingford police. “I will try to release more information when I can.”

“It seems to be revitalizing itself more recently,” said Vernon Police Lt. Rob Marra.

Marra has seen this violent trend before.

“I don’t know how we can control that,” said Faren Siddiqy, owner of the Wallingford Valero.

Siddiqy showed Eyewitness News the shocking footage of a crew breaking in, looping a cable around the atm, tied to their car, then driving off.

The ATM flew through the front doors.

“That’s a big loss for all of us,” Siddiqy said.

Brasad Maganti found his Manchester Mobil Mart Wednesday morning with windows broken, the inside trashed, and the atm ruined.

The atm was bolted to the ground so securely, the men were unsuccessful using the same tactics of the cable and car combo.

Another failed attempt in Vernon overnight.

I have 4 other locations it happens sometimes but we need to back to normal,” Maganti said.

Police believe the Vernon and Manchester incidents are connected.

“I definitely do think there are some similarities. We are seeing a very similar car and similar MO how they’re taking it out,” Marra said.

“It affects us too much and my issue was insurance doesn’t cover this kind of information we have to do it ourselves,” said Siddiqy.

Channel 3 was in Milford on Tuesday where a similar theft was caught on camera, and involved thieves tying rope around an ATM to yank it through a convenience store’s doors with a vehicle.

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