Nanaimo RCMP are looking for a minivan and the suspect who used it in an early-morning attempt to smash and grab an ATM machine.
The robbery happened at about 3:40 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10, at the Chevron gas station located at the intersection of Bowen and East Wellington roads.
“We were on scene three minutes later,” said reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson. “Obviously, there was a time delay from the time the alarm came in until the time we were called because when we got there the front doors had been smashed open and it appeared that they had attempted to steal the ATM.”
Investigators reviewed the gas station’s security camera video footage, which showed a dark-coloured minivan back up to the front doors. The suspect strapped the door handles to the vehicle and then drove forward to pull the doors open.
“The driver then proceeded to tie the straps to the ATM and then tried to pull that out of the building, but they were unsuccessful,” O’Brien said. “As a consolation prize, he took some products and [sped] off.”
The male suspect disguised his face during the crime and wore dark clothing.
“This obviously would have caused a lot of noise. Anyone driving by would have seen this,” O’Brien said.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information about the crime is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file No. 2023-39179.
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