Suspects steal ATM using stolen forklift
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Alarms rang out at the Tinker Federal Credit Union near Southwest 89th and Western early Tuesday morning.
“Those things are hard to steal. They’re very heavy,” Msgt. Gary Knight, with Oklahoma City Police.
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When officers got there, they found the ATM was missing. They found pieces broken and scattered. Nuts, bolts and stray wires were all that remained.
“A very difficult task,” said Knight.
Mere tools and elbow grease alone can’t rip out the automated teller machine from the cold concrete. A forklift used to steal the machine was left in the parking lot, as well.
It turns out, the forklift was stolen, too.
“Somebody had actually used this forklift to ram the ATM, trying to knock it loose from its mountings and then ultimately haul the ATM away,” said Knight.
Thankfully, the bank’s cameras were rolling the entire time. However, the suspects’ faces were covered while hauling the metal box filled with thousands of dollars.
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Hours later, hopeful customers rolled through the parking lot hoping to make a withdrawal, but instead greeted by a hole in the ground.
TFCU said in a statement, “The ATM at Tinker Federal Credit Union’s (TFCU) location at 1200 SW 89th St in Oklahoma City was stolen using a forklift early this morning, January 16, 2024. The credit union is actively working with the authorities during this ongoing investigation. The location is open and operating. For those seeking TFCU ATM services, the nearest alternative location is 9601 S Penn Ave. There are no further details at this time.”
Police said so far, they’re not ready to release the surveillance footage. Detectives must first go through all of the evidence and try to identify suspects before releasing the video and pictures to the public.
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