In Florida, a daring ATM heist took a comical turn when the cunning criminals overlooked an important detail - the drag marks left behind by their hefty loot.
As fate would have it, these drag marks became the bread crumbs that led the police straight to the scene of the crime.
The incident unfolded at 4:52 a.m. on a Friday morning at the Ameris Bank on West U.S. Highway 90 in Lake City, located about 60 miles west of Jacksonville.
Upon their arrival, the officers were puzzled to find the ATM missing from its foundation near the drive-through.
To their surprise, drag marks were clearly visible on the pavement, guiding them through the Lake City Mall parking lot and heading northeast.
Quickly relaying the information to other officers, the police were soon hot on the trail of a suspicious white utility truck, which was unapologetically dragging the ATM along NW Bascom Norris Drive.
An ATM can weigh a whopping 1,800 pounds, so the culprits wisely decided not to attempt a high-speed getaway. Instead, they made a hasty exit and fled on foot as the patrol cars closed in.
A photograph shared by the police captured the aftermath of the failed heist - the abandoned truck sitting on the shoulder of the road, doors wide open, and the ATM heavily damaged at the rear.
Interestingly, Northwest Bascomb Norris Drive was merely a half-mile away from the targeted bank.
Despite a search effort, the suspects managed to vanish into a nearby wooded area, leaving the police scratching their heads.
Additional support from the Florida Highway Patrol's Drone Unit and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's Air Unit was called in to scour the heavily wooded region, but the culprits remained elusive.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle used in the heist had been stolen from Madison County, situated about 60 miles northwest of Lake City.
It seems like the ATM heist plot turned into a clumsy escapade, as the drag marks that were meant to lead to freedom instead became the telltale sign that exposed the criminals' misadventure.
The search for the elusive culprits continues as the authorities remain vigilant, ready to bring them to justice.
Meanwhile in another story, two men have been arrested for killing a brave police officer who responded to an armed robbery. See detailed story here
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