He used a torch to cut into drive-through ATM but didn’t get the cash, police say

A man who tried to get cash from a Madera drive-up ATM with a blowtorch is being sought by police.

The attempted break-in took place about 4 a.m. Sunday at a Chase bank in the 200 block of East Yosemite Avenue. Sgt. Mark Trukki said the suspect drove up to the ATM and used the acetylene torch in an attempt to cut through metal in an unsuccessful bid to reach the cash inside.

Had the suspect managed to cut through the frame of the device, Trukki said he likely would have been unable to get the cash, which is protected by a steel interior.

The sergeant said it’s the first time he has heard of anyone using the break-in method on an ATM. Several cases have been recorded around the U.S. in which thieves have used stolen fork lifts to rip ATMs out of walls and load the machines into trucks to disassemble at a remote location.

Anyone with information about the Madera crime is asked to call Crime Stoppters at 559-498-STOP.

This story was originally published September 13, 2018 at 10:18 AM.