Thieves stole cash from ATMs at 7-Eleven stores in the DMV early Monday, each time corralling workers, taking security footage and then destroying the machines.
Eight stores were targeted between 2:30 and 4:30 a.m. in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
They were located in the:
- 6100 block of Franconia Road in Fairfax County
- 330 block of South Whiting Street in Alexandria
- 1700 block of 17th Street NW in D.C.
- the intersection of Peabody Street and North Capitol Street NW in D.C.
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Another four 7-Elevens were targeted in Prince George's County, but authorities would not confirm where.
The thieves appeared to carry out their plan with precision, and one manager who declined to go on camera said the blueprint was the same: control the clerks, swipe security camera footage, break into the ATM and take all of the cash.
It's impossible to say if there is just one group of thieves behind the crimes or multiple. The trend dates back to last year, and a power tool called the “jaws of life” is a common thread.
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Police got a break in a similar case last week in Hyattsville, Maryland, when the robbers could not get the footage from the cameras and police released footage showing a man dressed all in black, wearing a hood breaking into the ATM.
“What we do know is that the ATM was pried open with a hydraulic spreader, or what you would refer to as the jaws of life, and there is a string of those robberies in Prince George’s County dating back to June of 2023,” Hyattsville police Chief Jarod Towers said.
News4 reached out to 7-Eleven for comment but has not heard back.
