ATM Theft Investigation Spans Three Cities
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Police from Grand Prairie, Arlington and Dallas are all investigating an ATM theft that led to a chase early Friday morning. It started at around 3:45 a.m. at a Shell station in Grand Prairie, near the intersection of Highway 360 and Green Oaks Boulevard.
The suspects smashed a vehicle into the gas station and took the location's money machine. Then, someone in Arlington called the police a short time later to report an ATM in the back of a white Dodge pickup truck.
Officers spotted the vehicle and started a chase, but it did not last very long. A suspect jumped out of the pickup truck near the intersection of Fielder Road and Green Oaks Boulevard, in Arlington, and started to flee on foot. Officers were unable to catch up with the suspect, however.
The ATM fell out of the truck during the pursuit and was later recovered, but the money inside was missing. The pickup truck was taken away by police as well. It had been reported as stolen.
Meanwhile, another vehicle connected to the theft was also spotted nearby. Police chased that car -- a Dodge Charger -- along Interstate-20 into Dallas at speeds as high as 120 mph. The vehicle exited and the chase ended at an apartment complex near the intersection of Loop 12 and Jefferson Boulevard.
This suspect was arrested at the apartment complex and the Charger was towed away from the scene. The man was identified as 24-year-old Therone Drake of Dallas. Authorities are still looking for at least one other suspect -- possibly more.
Now, employees at the Shell station are left to clean up the huge mess that the thieves left behind. Workers explained that the criminals used a chain to pull the ATM outside. The convenience store was closed at the time of the incident. Employees hope to have it open later on Friday.
"This has to stop," said store owner Alex Mahmood. "ATM is a big crime though. Some people, they break in, steal a cigarette. And that, I understand that. But this is big crime. It is tough, because they cannot catch them. That is the problem. This time, maybe they will get them."