Police: Thieves Cutting Tires To Steal From ATM Customers
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Getting a flat tire is annoying, but now Dallas police say it could also be an elaborate trap set to rob you. It's all part of a larger scheme that has thieves staking out local banks.
Dallas police say the criminals target business owners and follow them after they withdraw money from the bank. In some cases, the robbers use sharp objects to puncture victims' tires, which ultimately go flat. Thieves approach the car and steal the cash when the victim stops to change the tire.
In another case, robbers followed a victim to a gas station. Ken Stierwalt says he found out the hard way to remember to be careful when getting money out of the ATM.
Stierwalt says it was before Christmas when he withdrew money from inside a bank on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of Interstate-35E. After leaving the bank Stierwalt stopped to fill-up his car at a gas station just down the street and that's when the thieves struck.
"I'm standing here looking at the gas pump on the left side [and] didn't see the car pull up," he remembered. "He walked over, looked on my front seat, opened the door, grabbed the money, and they were gone in just a few seconds."
The theft was so fast and well executed that Stierwalt said he had no idea, until he got to the office, the moneybag in his front passenger seat was missing. He went back to the gas station, looked at the surveillance video, and saw the thieves followed him and taken his money.
Dallas police say Stierwalt isn't alone. DPD is currently investigating six similar cases in northwest Dallas – all having happened in the past month, with the most recent just yesterday.
Lieutenant Tony Crawford said, "We noticed there's a trend and we're addressing that trend."
Four of the seven DPD cases have involved criminals cutting victims' tires. And all seven cases have involved business owners or employees.
Dallas police say the thieves are traveling in newer vehicles, with tinted windows and are placing dealer tags over the license plate. And while Stierwalt didn't even know he'd been victimized, police warn the thieves have become violent before.
In one case Lt. Crawford said, "They confronted the person, and physically taken the bag from them."
Police are urging anyone who's taking large sums of money out of the bank not to keep it in a bank bag. They are also warning people to be alert and make sure they're not being followed from a financial institution.
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