Van Nuys Market was the scene of a brazen burglary early Friday morning when two white vans were spotted departing the business after an ATM was stolen. The theft occurred at the Balboa Market on Balboa Boulevard and Saticoy, around 3 a.m., where security cameras recorded the culprits initially breaking through the glass door and later, potentially using a vehicle to dislodge the ATM from the store, NBC Los Angeles reports.
Lidia Ramirez, a patron of the market, expressed her dismay to NBC Los Angeles, saying, "This is like a little community store. It's really sad because it's happening a lot to small businesses." The store had previously been targeted in a burglary that resulted in more than $10,000 being taken from the store's safe.
ABC7 indicated that an attempted smash-and-grab at the same market failed when burglars were unable to remove the ATM. Surveillance footage showed an ATM being tied to a vehicle with a rope or chain, which then dislodged, leaving the machine behind as the suspects fled the scene.
Meanwhile, a witness account provided to FOX LA portrayed a more chaotic scenario, where a vehicle slammed into the market around the same early morning hour, causing significant destruction. The witness described the scene: "Looked like they destroyed the sliding door to get in." The white vans were missing license plates, and the vehicle that crashed into the shop seemed to be an SUV.
