ATM Theft Suspects Apprehended Following Early Morning Pursuit

Maybe it works in the movies . . . not so much in real life. Crawfordsville Police report that someone tried to drag an ATM with a truck and break into it.

But it didn’t work.

And now CPD and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office have felony charges pending against three adults and one juvenile in detention.

It all started Sunday at 4:37 a.m. when  the CPD and Sheriff’s department responded to an ATM alarm at Fountain Trust Bank, 1700 E Main St. in Crawfordsville. Officers said four suspects used a stolen pickup truck to pull the ATM machine from its concrete base, dragging it into the parking lot of a neighboring business. Investigators determined the suspects made several attempts to force open the ATM using the stolen truck, but were unsuccessful in gaining access.

As officers arrived on scene, the suspects fled in a separate vehicle. A pursuit followed and ended when the suspects’ vehicle crashed near Interstate 74. All four individuals then fled the scene on foot. With assistance from a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office drone and a Crawfordsville Police Department K9 unit, officers were able to quickly locate and apprehend all four suspects.

The suspects were later identified as individuals from Texas and Louisiana. All four were transported to the Franciscan Health Crawfordsville Emergency Department for evaluation due to the vehicle crash and exhaustion.

A detention order was issued for one juvenile suspect. The three adult suspects were transported to the Montgomery County Jail and preliminarily charged with:

• Theft (Level 5 Felony)
• Resisting Law Enforcement with Endangerment (Level 5 Felony)
• Criminal Mischief (Level 6 Felony)
• Auto Theft (Level 6 Felony)
• Organized Theft (Level 6 Felony)

Due to the incident involving a financial institution, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been notified. It has not been determined whether the case will be pursued federally.

Agencies assisting in the response included the Crawfordsville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ladoga Police Department.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact investigating officer, Det. Geoff Payne at (765) 362-3762 ext. 155 or by email gpayne@crawfordsvillepolice.in.gov