In the quiet predawn hours just outside the Seattle Pacific University campus, an attempted ATM theft unfolded with an unusual choice of equipment. According to KING 5 News, two suspects commandeered a front loader, in a brazen attempt to uproot and steal an ATM. The machine was positioned outside the campus store on West Nickerson Street, a spot not unaccustomed to the bustle of students, but at 4 a.m., Tuesday, it witnessed a different kind of disturbance.

Upon responding to the scene of the incident, authorities found both the truck and the front loader. As relayed by FOX 13 Seattle, one suspect had fled the scene in the bulldozer while, the other made their escape in a truck.

The planned heist left behind significant damage. Cheryl Michaels, SPU’s Safety and Security Director, detailed the extent of the destruction, as per KING 5 News, saying the attempted theft "caused significant damage to the structure which held the ATM." A clear testament to the force exerted by the heavy machinery in the botched attempt to extract the cash machine.

An unsettling visual account of the event came via surveillance footage which, according to KOMO News, showed the front loader tearing the ATM from its moorings before pushing it down the street. In the footage, a four-door burgundy pickup truck is also seen following the front loader as it exited the parking lot, prompting investigations into its involvement. "Most people, what do they do, they steal the car and ram into it. This took a lot of ingenuity I guess," a resident named Endresen, said, per KOMO News. The machine and front loader were later located across from the Home Builders Center, a half-mile from campus.