Two masked men armed with power tools broke into an Omaha Megasaver near 16th Street and John J. Pershing Drive on September 26, pried open the store's cash machine, and were gone in about nine minutes with several money boxes in hand. How much cash they got away with still isn't clear.
According to KETV, one of the suspects used power tools to pry open the store's locked front door before a second round of tool work cracked open a Cash Center Smart Money Machine inside, where several money boxes were taken. The outlet reports it remains unclear how much money was actually stolen, though the station notes damage to the machine itself came to roughly $1,000.
Police describe the suspects based on a report reviewed by the station: one wore work boots, a plaid jacket, orange Stihl gloves and a hat, while the other was dressed in gray sweats. Both had their faces covered throughout the break-in, according to the report cited by the station.
Video Captures a Rushed Job and a Getaway Vehicle
Video obtained by the station captured one of the men urging the other along at the end of the break-in, saying, “Open the door, hurry up.” Separate footage from outside the store showed a Polaris Ranger utility vehicle sitting nearby — one missing the letter P from its back, per the same account.
Beyond the clothing descriptions and the distinctive vehicle, no further details about the suspects' identities have been released, and no arrests have been announced in connection with the break-in.
How to Submit a Tip
Police are asking anyone with information to come forward through Omaha Crime Stoppers, which can be reached at 402-444-STOP, through its website, or via the P3 tips app. Tips submitted through Crime Stoppers are anonymous, and tipsters will not be asked to testify.
Omaha Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit affiliated with the Omaha Police Department, but reward payouts don't come out of the department's budget. Instead, a board made up of private citizens approves payouts, which are funded through donations and fundraising efforts rather than public safety dollars.
Not an Isolated Tactic
Power-tool break-ins targeting cash machines aren't unique to Omaha. BBC News has reported on thieves who toured the country breaking into cash machines and made off with hundreds of thousands of pounds before being jailed. The same countrywide attacks caused about £113,000 in damage and involved about £218,000 in stolen money. The UK cases offer examples of cash-machine attacks elsewhere.
For now, the Megasaver case remains open, with investigators hoping the clothing details, the video of the suspects at work, and the distinctive Polaris Ranger missing its P might jog someone's memory.
