CHARLOTTE — A group of thieves broke into a BP gas station Thursday and stole an ATM, ripping it off the wall. It was all caught on surveillance video that Channel 9 was able to obtain.
It’s the second case like this we’ve learned about in just a week. Video also captured an ATM theft outside Brooks’ Sandwich House in NoDa Monday night. A U-Haul truck pulled up and ripped the machine right from the building.
Police have not confirmed the two crimes are connected, but the most recent victims were told by police that is possible and the pieces are lining up.
The door frame at the BP is now gone. Until it’s fixed, workers will have to board it up every night and tear it down when they open in the morning.
“That’s just crazy, who would do something like that?” said Grease Monkey employee Jessie Hagler.
The gas station is on W.T. Harris Boulevard and Old Statesville Road in northeast Charlotte.
Surveillance video shows a U-Haul truck pulling up to the convenience store around 4:30 a.m. Thursday. Then, three people dressed in black get out, break the glass on the front door, and tie a rope to the ATM.
The driver takes off, crushing dozens of cases of water and sodas on the way.
“It’s just sad to see people break into a business and take a whole ATM,” said Charles, another Grease Monkey employee.
He and his coworkers across the parking lot know the BP workers well and were shocked to hear the news. He was discouraged to hear about the stolen ATM at Brooks’ too.
“With what’s going on in the world, you can’t put nothing past nobody,” Charles said.
“They don’t care about nobody,” he added.
BP store owner Arpita Patel said she woke up to an alert from her security company and was shocked to see the camera footage and the damage left behind. She said she always tries to help her customers who don’t have money -- she will spot them and then they pay her back -- and if these suspects needed something, she would have helped them too.
“I help lots of people,” Patel said.
“If you wanted something, tell us. I’ll give it to you and when you have it, you can get me back,” she added.
Now, Patel and her husband will have to front the cost of fixing the damage. She estimates that will cost at least $10,000.
Patel thinks the thieves got away with about $5,000.
(WATCH BELOW: ATM stolen from sandwich shop of slain business owner Scott Brooks)
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