SAN ANTONIO — In a brazen act of theft, burglars broke into a business early this morning, smashing through a wall to steal an ATM.
This incident is part of a troubling trend affecting local business owners, with dozens of similar crimes reported recently.
Marcie, a manager and bartender at the targeted establishment, expressed her disbelief at the lengths the suspects went to for the ATM cash. “It looks like they knew what they were doing, breaking a wall,” she said. Marcie noted that such incidents have become more frequent, saying, “We’ve been here for many years, and this has never happened, but now this is like a trend going around.”
The San Antonio Police Department confirmed the rise in these types of crimes, reporting a spike to 43 cases this year over the past four months. While overall breaking and entering cases have decreased compared to last year, the impact on business owners remains significant.
Christopher Juarez, co-owner of “The Thrift Thru,” recounted a similar experience, watching on cameras as thieves broke into his shop. “They came in our back room, they grabbed, like, a pair of shoes, maybe like a jacket, and some money from the till,” Juarez said. He described the situation as “annoying” and difficult to prepare for, adding, “It’s kind of hard to prepare for this, because you can’t, you don’t know when it, when it, when it can happen.”
The SAPD continues to investigate these crimes as business owners hope for justice.