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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

ATM yanked from building


A stolen ATM was abandoned on a rural road near Indian Canyon Golf Course after thieves used a stolen vehicle Wednesday morning to pull it from its base at a West Plains gas station. 
 (Amy Cannata / The Spokesman-Review)

Spokane police and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office are investigating several recent ATM thefts in which the thieves used stolen vehicles to crash into buildings and drag out cash machines.

The thieves stole an ATM from Harper Shell Station at 4110 S. Fosseen Road on the West Plains about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. The ATM was later found on a dirt road near the intersection of Bonnie Drive and Indian Canyon Drive, along with a piece of the vehicle used to dislodge it from the gas station.

It’s the fourth time the gas station has been hit by thieves after its ATM, said owner Deborah Harper.

“They wrecked the whole front of my store,” Harper said Wednesday afternoon

Harper has hired an overnight security guard until the store’s front doors and side panels are replaced. Harper Shell Station may not replace the ATM, even though it brings many customers inside, she said. If it is replaced, it will be strongly reinforced, she said.

Earlier Wednesday, police found a stolen Chrysler New Yorker in the parking lot by a Washington Trust Bank kiosk at 4507 W. Wellesley, said Spokane police Officer Jennifer DeRuwe.

The suspects had attempted to break an ATM loose by chaining it to the car, but the chain broke. Their efforts caused $10,000 to $15,000 in damage to the ATM, DeRuwe said.

A similar ATM grab attempt was made early Tuesday at Divine’s Shell Station, 8213 N. Market St., where a car crashed through the doors, but the suspects left empty-handed, police said.

Spokane Valley police believe these thefts may be linked to other recent ATM crimes.