DES MOINES, Wash. — Police are searching for at least two suspects who tried to steal an ATM in Des Moines early Tuesday morning.
A Des Moines Police Department spokesperson said the suspects used a U-Haul to try to remove an ATM from inside an E-Z Mart at 21620 Marine View Drive S around 2 a.m.
They tried to use the truck’s tow strap to pull the ATM from the business, but the strap broke.
Initially, officers were able to follow the suspects as they drove away in the truck. However, when the suspects abandoned the truck and fled on foot, officers were unable to locate them.
The U-Haul was not reported stolen at the time it was located, according to Des Moines Police Sgt. Scott Oak.
Oak said that three male suspects may have been involved.
There is no description of the suspects and the police department said they hope to get surveillance video from the business to help their investigation.
The latest ATM theft is about three miles from where a similar incident occurred in early March, during which the suspects smashed into the front of a market and took off with the ATM in the back of their vehicle.
Officers tried to stop that vehicle after seeing it with the ATM in the back, but ended the chase when the suspects didn't stop.
Law enforcement agencies say that ATM thefts have been a growing issue across the region. As of mid-March, the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) was investigating at least seven ATM thefts since the beginning of 2022.
The Seattle Police Department revealed that it believed there was one group of suspects responsible for more than a dozen of these ATM thefts.
There have also been a number of thefts in Snohomish and Pierce counties in recent weeks.