Thieves use excavator to smash through Wells Fargo Bank in Northeast Baltimore

Criminals used construction equipment to smash through a Wells Fargo Bank near the high-traffic intersection of Loch Raven Boulevard and Northern Parkway in Northeast Baltimore.

The crime happened in full view of cameras just before sunrise Sunday morning, but no arrests have been made.

“I think it’s crazy,” said Al Foote, shaking his head after learning about a smash-and-grab hit on the ATM at the Wells Fargo Bank branch near his home.

Pictures sent to WJZ show a large yellow excavator left in front of the bank, part of a precisely timed attack just after 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Relaying the shocking incident, a responding officer said on dispatch audio, “They ripped the whole system from the bank.”

WJZ watched for hours as a steady stream of customers expressed their surprise at the news, while a single security guard informed them that the bank would be closed all day Monday.

“People went to great lengths to do this. I think it’s horrible,” Foote said.

A large red sticker on the front door said the building was condemned, but it was later removed, and the bank is expected to open later this week.

Plywood covered the area where the cash machine used to be. The robbers left the construction equipment sitting in the front parking lot.

Not the first time

This is far from the first incident in which robbers have smashed through stores and banks in Maryland to steal cash machines.

In May, just seven minutes up Loch Raven Boulevard from the Wells Fargo, a thief used a U-Haul to smash through Quick Mart. Police eventually arrested and charged a suspect, who was wanted in a string of burglaries.

The Baltimore area saw a surge in ATM thefts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November 2021, four people used a van to smash through a Walgreens on York Road, leaving a gaping hole. One month later, on Reisterstown Road, a van smashed into a BP gas station five times.

The problem got so bad that Baltimore police at one point designated a detective in each district to deal with ATM thefts. The robbers often used stolen vans and construction equipment and worked in the early morning hours.

In one case in 2022, a Baltimore Department of Public Works employee used a city-owned van, but covered the logos, to break into an ATM in Owings Mills.

WJZ asked Baltimore police whether there’s been an uptick in smash-and-grab ATM thefts in the city. A representative said it may take several days to retrieve that data.

The American Bankers Association said ATM crime incidents have surged 73% since 2022.

Thefts do not only include smashing into ATMs. The newest trend is called “jackpotting,” in which thieves use malware to force ATMs to dispense cash. In February, the FBI issued a warning about an increase in “jackpotting.”

WJZ is a media partner of The Banner. See the original report.