ROCHESTER, Minn. – Well-organized thieves stole a heavy-duty pickup truck from a car dealership, drove it several miles to a credit union, chained an ATM cash machine on the truck and yanked the machine from its moorings, drove off, smashed the ATM open, took the cash, and ditched the truck, motor running. on a remote road. Police spokesperson called the thieves “one professional crew.” The caper was incredibly methodical. Here’s how it went: Responding to a suspicious activity call at 4:38 a.m., police found the abandoned truck in the 4300 block of East River Road. Strapped to the bed was the “busted open” ATM. Later police discovered the truck, complete with snowplow, had been stolen from a Mazda dealership on the Northwest Side. (What aa great disguise for roaming the streets before dawn.) Police also discovered that the ATM was from First Alliance Credit Union across town on the Northeast Side. There have been similar ATM heists in the Twin Cities, but this, said police, was the first in Rochester.Per bank protocol, police didn’t release publicly how much cash was taken.
