CVS on Detroit's east side damaged after vehicle crash and attempted ATM theft
Detroit police are investigating after a group of individuals attempted to steal an ATM from a CVS on the city's east side following a vehicle crash early Sunday.
A cleanup crew worked to rip out the window trim and clear away the rubble from the gaping hole on the left side of the establishment following the collision near the intersection of Gratiot Avenue and Conner Street.
The manager of the liquor store next door explains what he saw when he arrived at work Sunday morning.
"I see debris all over the parking lot, the bricks all over the floor," Joseph Selem, manager of GM Liquor, said.
According to the manager of the CVS, three people inside what appeared to be a pickup truck used the vehicle to ram into the side of the building around 4 a.m.
The Detroit Police Department says there may have actually been two vehicles involved and that they were after the ATM.
"One of the employees from CVS came by and told us what happened. So I was like, I'm not surprised for the area," Selem said.
He added that similar instances have happened at their other locations. That's why the owners have taken steps to reinforce the buildings with sheets of metal outside.
"It's happened at our other store on Six and Gratiot. They broke in and stole some items, and they've actually broke into that store multiple times, but you know, in the area it's pretty, like, frequent."
Because the ATM was buried underneath the wreckage caused by the collision, the individuals couldn't get to the machine, the CVS manager said. They left the scene without it.
According to the CVS manager, officers arrived at the store five minutes after the incident. Police said no arrests have been made.
The store is closed through Monday, officials said, though the drive-thru will remain open during that time.
In January 2025, police said a motorist crashed a U-Haul truck into the entrance of a CVS on Detroit's north side. Investigators at the time said a group of males in the truck appeared to be trying to steal an ATM from the store on the 10000 block of West McNichols Road.
It's unknown whether an arrest was made in the 2025 incident.
