Surveillance video captured a woman walking up to an ATM along Philips Highway, grabbing a piece of concrete, and bashing in the machine's screen and keypad before calmly walking away on foot. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says the damage from the August 30 incident totals more than $2,600, and investigators are now asking the public to help identify her.
According to WJXT News4JAX, the footage shows the woman approaching the machine and using the concrete to smash its screen and keypad before leaving the scene. JSO featured the case as part of its weekly “Wanted Wednesday” social media push, a recurring campaign the department uses to crowdsource leads on unsolved property crimes, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office post. In that same statement, investigators said the woman initially appeared to be searching for something at the machine before she picked up the concrete and struck it.
A Felony-Level Case Under Florida Law
Because the estimated damage tops $1,000, the case escalates from a misdemeanor to a third-degree felony under Florida law, which carries penalties of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, per Section 806.13 of the Florida Statutes. A conviction would also require court-ordered restitution to fully reimburse the property owner for repairs, according to Florida property damage law explained by HazenTech. If the machine belongs to an FDIC-insured bank, the damage could also trigger federal charges under 18 U.S.C. § 2113, which broadly protects the property of federally insured financial institutions, according to Justia Law.
A Familiar Pattern Along Jacksonville's Commercial Strips
This is not the first time an ATM along a major Jacksonville corridor has been targeted with improvised tools. In August 2025, JSO sought help identifying a man who used a brick to smash an ATM's camera during an attempted burglary at a bank on San Jose Boulevard, according to 104.5 WOKV. Philips Highway itself has an even more dramatic history: in a previous case, thieves stole a 10,000-pound industrial forklift from a rental yard on the same strip to smash into a drive-thru ATM at a Prudential Drive bank, according to WTSP-TV.
JSO's public appeals have a track record of success. The department's online “Unsolved Crimes” portal, which pairs surveillance photos with social media pushes, has helped identify more than 600 suspects during its first three years of operation. The sheriff's office also maintains a public “Calls for Service” tracking system logging daily dispatch reports for burglaries, vandalism, and suspicious activity across Duval County.
How to Report a Tip
Anyone with information can contact JSO directly at 904-630-0500, or reach out anonymously through First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards of up to $5,000 for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest in Duval County investigations, according to First Coast Crime Stoppers, and JSO has said a cash reward may be available for information leading to an arrest in this case. As of now, the woman's identity remains unknown, and JSO has not said whether the ATM belonged to a specific bank or business.
