ELKHORN, Nebraska – It was a daring heist at the Mutual 1st Federal Credit Union on 182nd Avenue and West Maple Road.
Someone used a telehandler forklift to remove the drive-thru ATM from the ground. They then hid in the back of a stolen U-Haul truck, making off with an undisclosed sum of cash.
It occurred just after 2:30 a.m. on October 24, 2024.
Authorities are now asking for the public’s assistance.
“We’ve seen break-ins at ATMs,” said Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Eric Sellers. “I don’t know if I recall seeing a whole ATM being taken out of the ground, but it’s something that I’ve heard of.”
Investigators from the sheriff’s office have been working on the case for months, but they say they’ve reached a dead end.
“We can’t make an identification from the video clips alone,” Sellers told me. “We’ve done everything we can to try to identify a suspect, and we’re really running into dead ends.”
Whoever it was, Sellers claimed they knew how to operate the forklift and were determined.
“They were very desperate to get the money. They needed it. There are other ways to steal money without going through the entire process.”
“It must have been planned for them. I suspect they were near the construction site, knew the equipment was there, knew which ATM to target, and knew to take the U-Haul that would fit the ATM inside the back.”
We contacted the credit union for comment on Thursday, but did not receive an immediate response.
They have still not replaced the ATM.
If you have any information, the sheriff’s office encourages you to contact Douglas County Crime Stoppers.
“Just give a tip,” Sellers explained. “Even if it’s not the suspect, at least we can look into them.”
The sheriff’s office stated that while it is possible that only one person was involved, they believe there were two.
Sellers added that it appears to be an isolated incident; the perpetrators may have been involved in other thefts in the area.
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