Two male suspects attempted to steal an ATM from Union State Bank in Randolph, Kansas, around 3:15 a.m. Oct. 12.
Dan Holt, president of Union State Bank, said the suspects used a stolen truck to try to dislodge the ATM.
“It’s a through-the-wall ATM,” Holt said. “They attempted to try and pull the whole thing out through the wall with a pickup and log chain. It didn’t work. It pretty much just destroyed the top part where the screen is. That’s where all the intelligent information is in the ATM, and that was all trashed. It was pretty much a total loss.”
Holt said he contacted the Riley County Police Department after a customer of the bank reported the ATM damage.
“We had a customer go through the drive-through where the ATM is located and saw that the ATM was pretty much trashed, so they took a picture of it and sent it to one of our employees,” Holt said. “That employee contacted me. This was at 7 or 7:30 in the morning [Thursday].”
According to a press release by Pottawatomie County Police, the suspects fled and set fire to the truck after failing to steal the ATM.
“At approximately 4:11 a.m., the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 5400 block of Blue River Road in rural Manhattan, Pottawatomie County, Kansas, for a report of an unknown fire,” the press release said. “Upon deputies arriving, they discovered a Ford F-150 truck on fire. … The investigation revealed that the truck was not involved in an accident and the fire was intentionally set.”
Holt said patrons of Union State Bank should not worry about the safety of their money or information.
“There’s no customer information that’s stored in the ATM,” Holt said. “It would just be the loss of the ATM and the cash that was inside.”
Repair costs for the ATM total $22,000. Holt said the bank’s insurance company “will participate” to cover the cost.
The investigation remains ongoing and those with tips are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 785-539-7777.
The Pottawatomie County Police Department declined to comment.
