Too early to find an open bank, a man attempted a unique type of cash withdrawal Friday morning.
East Peoria police said a suspect slammed a stolen pickup truck through the glass entry area to the Hucks gas station at 101 Farmdale Road about 2:30 a.m. The truck barreled into an ATM and knocked the machine off bolts connecting it to a wall.
The suspect then loaded the cash machine into the back of the pickup and drove it toward the Sunnyland area, police believe. The burglar stopped at the East Peoria Event Center at the Oaks, 4200 E. Washington Road.
There, the suspect propped the stolen machine against an outer wall and attempted to gain access to the cash by ramming the stolen pickup against the ATM.
Although the ATM was badly damaged, it did not come open. The truck, a pickup with ladders on the sides, was stolen from C&G Concrete, 1906 Meadows Ave., police said.
Officers responding to an alarm at the event center located the ATM and truck still running in the parking lot. The exterior brick wall was cracked. A hole was punched through the wall and a large interior window was shattered, police said.
After the suspect gave up on getting to the money after a few minutes, police believe he then stole a van from Spectacular Floor Care, 200 Sunrise Ave., located near the event center. The floor business reported the cargo van missing around 9 a.m. Friday.
Surveillance video shows the suspect is a white male, about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, with a thin build. Police remain on the lookout for the suspect and the stolen van.
Police urge anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 673-9000 or 347-9000, or East Peoria police at 698-4700.
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