Yesterday, an attempted robbery took place at an AMPM store in Oakland, California. Surveillance footage shows the robbers using a backhoe to crash through the store's bulletproof glass just inches from a clerk.
The thieves then used the backhoe to pry open an in-store ATM. Store owner, Ali Abdulla, estimates the damage incurred to be around $70,000. One of the robbers is seen attaching a chain to the battered ATM, in a failed attempt to pull it out using a white pickup truck.
"They tore up the whole front! That's at least $70,000 worth of damage." Surveillance video shows the moment when thieves crashed a backhoe into the window of the Oakland AMPM store in attempt to steal the ATM. https://t.co/KmGnYV9SEf pic.twitter.com/4S7Mltnzfj
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) November 7, 2023
The robbery was unsuccessful, the ATM remaining in place as police sirens sounded, causing the thieves to quickly abandon the scene. By the time law enforcement arrived, the culprits had disappeared, leaving the decimated store behind, according to KRON4.
In an interview with ABC7, owner Abdulla reflected on the challenges faced by small business owners in Oakland because of crime, expressing his dissatisfaction with local public safety measures.
Investigation into this audacious attack continues, with law enforcement appealing for any information on the crime.
