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CBS13 Uncovers Sacramento Theft Ring Where Suspects Tear Out Store ATMs

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A gang of thieves on a dash for cash are breaking into stores and carrying out ATM machines in a disturbing crime trend CBS13 uncovered in Sacramento.

The thieves have hit at least three times in the last two weeks in incidents caught on surveillance video. When we discovered the trend, we took it to police.

In less than 70 seconds, video shows three men breaking into a Curtis Park store, use a jack to pry the ATM off of the floor, then pick it up and haul it off in their van.

"This never happened in 13 years," said Albaro Lopez at Mazatlan Restaurant.

Sacramento Police believe the trio's hit again and again, including at Mazatlan Restaurant.

"When I came here in the morning, the ATM was Lopez said. The floor was broke, the tile was broken, I don't know how they did it," Lopez said.

The surveillance video shows exactly how they are doing it, and now police hope the video helps them track down the criminals.

In addition to the other two thefts, the Valero gas station on Riverside was also hit by the trio, and police believe there may be one more attempted theft.

A manager at a grocery store off of Franklin Boulevard says two men were able to get in, but were spooked by the alarm. They returned the next morning, but couldn't get through the doors next to the ATM.

But Lopez wasn't so lucky. He works just a few streets from that grocery store, where he says the big damage came with little payoff.

"There's not a lot of money in this ATM," he said. "It was like $700. For $700. Can you believe it?"

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