COVINGTON TOWNSHIP, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) – State police are looking for a pair of brazen bandits tonight who stole an entire ATM from a supermarket in Lackawanna County.
Troopers say that most likely isn’t the only theft the men have been involved in over the last 24 hours.
Troopers think sometime before 1:30 AM Tuesday morning, a dump truck was stolen from a maintenance building at Thornhurst Country Club Estates.
Investigators think two men then drove it to Bill’s ShopRite supermarket near Daleville and literally pulled an ATM right from its spot.
State police have released surveillance video of the crime.
It shows two men wearing ski masks chain-up the ATM at Bill’s ShopRite supermarket early Tuesday morning.
Moments later, the machine is ripped right from its spot, shattering a glass door.
“I guess they’re pretty desperate when it comes to something, you know, drugs or whatever,” Issac Stark of Spring Brook Township said.
“I think that’s very desperate times and they’ve got to do what they’re doing. I don’t know why,” Robert Espie of Scranton said.
During the daylight, you can still see the broken glass door and ripped wiring still connected to the wall.
Shoppers say a crime like this is unusual for the North Pocono area.
“The most that happens around here is somebody hits a deer. That’s about it!” Alison Gardner of Gouldsboro said.
Troopers think the ATM theft is connected to the theft of a vehicle at Thornhurst Country Club Estates because at the start of the surveillance video you can clearly see the dump truck which also serves as a snow plow and salt spreader.
After hearing about what happened, people think the two thefts were well thought out.
“If they get a good lead, maybe they’ll catch them!” Stark said.
State police say a portion of the ATM was later found on nearby Dorantown Road but the dump truck itself is still missing.
Anyone with information is urged to call Pennsylvania State Police in Dunmore or dial 911.
