Eight people were arrested Thursday for allegedly stealing multiple ATMs from across the metroplex.
The Plano Police Department, along with SWAT officers, conducted a multi-agency operation that put an end to the thefts that spanned for months.
The arrests took place at approximately 6 a.m. on June 1 at a 7-Eleven in the 900 block of Fort Worth Drive in Denton as the suspects were apparently attempting to steal another ATM, according to a news release.
The suspects allegedly stole more than 50 ATMs across North Texas, according to the release.
“These arrests were the result of a multijurisdictional operation whose goal was to bring these suspects to justice. It is anticipated that these arrests will result in the clearance of more than fifty ATM theft offenses for many DFW-area law enforcement agencies,” said the release.
On May 25, Plano detectives investigating the ATM burglaries received information about another ATM burglary that occurred at approximately 6:20 a.m. at a 7-Eleven convenience store in the 3600 block of 14th Street in Plano.
During the burglary, a pickup truck with five suspects was allegedly backed up to the front of the store, and a window was smashed, according to police.
“As the store clerk stood behind the counter, the suspects wrapped a chain around the machine and forcefully tore the ATM from the store using the pickup truck, stealing an unknown amount of cash in the process,” the release continued.
Damage to the property is estimated to be in the thousands, according to police.
The suspects fled the scene and abandoned the vehicle, which had been stolen from a nearby apartment complex in Garland, police said.
As the Plano detectives investigated the burglary, they discovered similar offenses throughout the metroplex, which resulted in investigators from Coppell, Dallas, Euless, Frisco, Garland, and Grapevine police departments and the Department of Public Safety assisting in the investigation.
7-Eleven Zone Asset Protection was also involved in the multi-agency operation.
The suspects have been charged with second-degree felony theft of an automated teller machine (ATM) of less than $300,000.
They are currently being held in the Denton County Jail, and additional charges are expected as the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to contact the Plano Police Department at 972-941-2148.
Despite suffering from a significant shortfall of officers, Dallas police managed to participate in the investigation. The Dallas Police Department presently has around 3,100 officers and needs to add another 400-500 officers, according to Mike Mata, president of the Dallas Police Association.
Dallas sees 57,896 crimes annually, according to NeighborhoodScout, with a crime rate of 44.93 per 1,000 residents.
On a spectrum ranging from “safest” to “most dangerous,” downtown Dallas is considered “most dangerous,” according to NeighborhoodScout.