Subtle thieves leave mark on area Walgreens stores

Yesterday, we read the news of some thieves who crashed an old utility truck into the front of a Walgreens, demolishing the store's entrance, so they could steal the ATM inside. And that wasn't an isolated incident: The thieves have done the same at several area Walgreens over the past few weeks. And despite their, uh, distinctive M.O., they haven't been caught yet.

In some cases — like the one early Wednesday — the thieves have stolen the ATMs themselves. which weigh between 500 and 600 pounds each. “They were pretty tenacious about getting that ATM into the truck,” Jeff Stauber, a Harris County sheriff's detective, told KHOU. They could have been especially determined, KHOU notes, because they had unsuccessfully tried to rob two Walgreens the night before. Surveillance video shows the bandits wearing gloves; they can make off with as much as several thousand dollars from a single ATM.

Based on the news report, it doesn't look like Walgreens has any plans to move the ATMs, which, with an unexpected bit of flair, KHOU describes as standing in each store "like a lost calf on the Serengeti." The machines are placed as a convenience for people who want to withdraw some cash, a company spokesman said. Or, you know, people who want to withdraw the whole ATM.