Police are investigating a rash of ATM and safe smash and grab attempts that occurred in Dallas early Friday morning.
During a news conference Friday afternoon, Dallas police Maj. Bill Humphrey said the three incidents are related after seeing surveillance video from each of attempted thefts.
Humphrey said the first burglary took place at 3:24 a.m. at the Family Dollar store on 9243 Skillman Street. Police said the thieves drove through a wall and tried to remove a safe from the store.
The safe proved to be too heavy to move, so the thieves left.
The second incident took place at 4:40 a.m. at a Shell gas station at 8207 South Hampton Road. At that location, one of the thieves threw a brick through the glass on a side door before the three entered the store.
Video surveillance shows the clerk hiding after the glass is broken and the trio running through the store toward an ATM near the back. The three were unable to move the ATM and left a short time later.
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The clerk was not injured in the attempted theft.
The third attempted theft took place at The Rustic bar and restaurant in Uptown Dallas at 3656 Howell Street at about 5:40 a.m., according to police. [[307122831,C]]
The three drove a stolen truck through a glass wall and then tried to remove the ATM. After failing to do so, the three left.
Dallas police reported a total of 47 cases of ATM-related crimes in 2015. Of the total, 21 were successful, and 26 were failed attempts.
