A mysterious group of thieves has been robbing small business owners New York City – Grabbing ATMs off the ground using trucks and pull chains or removing them from stores by hand, the video shows.
At least 49 businesses have been robbed so far in the wave, according to the United Bodegas of America (UBA) trade group, which is offering a $5,000 reward for information about the bandits. Bodega is often used as a term for a convenience store or small grocery store in a city.
The NYPD said investigators believe the thieves are a group of three using stolen cars to commit the crimes, which have been reported in at least 25 of the city's 78 precincts.
Postman's family breaks silence after father of two was killed on his lunch break
A pair of thieves swipe an ATM machine from a small business in New York City. The NYPD is searching for three suspects in connection with at least 49 similar burglaries. (nypd)
Radames Rodriguez, the group's president, told Fox News Digital that authorities need to return to full prosecution of low-level crimes, and criticized the NYPD's newly announced pursuit policy, which prohibits police from pursuing suspects in non-violent crimes and lower-level crimes.
“While we understand the need for balance in law enforcement, limiting prosecutions to only suspects involved in violent felonies and misdemeanors sends a dangerous message to criminals who commit low-level crimes,” he told Fox News Digital. “So-called ‘minor crimes’ are often fertile ground for the commission of more serious crimes, creating a feeling of lawlessness and impunity.”
While the city has taken steps to address rising crime rates, business owners see the new stalking policy as a step backwards.
Illegal accused of lighting a sleeping woman on fire has pleaded not guilty
Thieves tore down the wall of a New York City store to steal an ATM from the inside. The NYPD is hunting three suspects in connection with 49 similar crimes, which also include stolen cars. (UBA)
“There must be accountability at every level of criminal activity,” UBA spokesman Fernando Mateo told Fox News Digital. “We must not dismiss petty crimes as trivial because they are on the rise. Today it is shoplifting, tomorrow it is armed robbery.”
New York City Police Commissioner New guidelines for vehicle pursuits would reduce the risk of collateral damage, Jessica Tisch said Wednesday.
According to the NYPD, 25% of car chases in 2024 resulted in a collision, property damage or injury. Two-thirds of them began with traffic stops as the suspect fled. Officers are no longer permitted to proceed in such circumstances.
The new rules restrict officers to car chases only for serious crimes — violent felonies and misdemeanors.
“The NYPD's enforcement efforts should not expose the public or police to unnecessary danger, and prosecutions for minor violations and crimes can be dangerous and unnecessary,” Tisch said in a statement. “Modern-day advanced police tools make it possible to catch criminals more safely and effectively than ever before, rendering many prosecutions unnecessary.”
NYC group robs 49 stores across city, steals ATMs, cash: Police
New York Mayor Eric Adams and New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch hold a press conference on December 19, 2024 in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
The ATM robbers remain at large.
The new guidelines don't actually represent a major shift, said Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
“The policy has always been this way — it's up to the patrol supervisor to call off any vehicle pursuit based on certain factors (as) written in the patrol manual,” he told Fox News Digital. “She's putting it out there to let everyone know — it already exists, but to reinforce it eventually, the New York City Council will go all-in on Chicago and ban all pursuits, including foot pursuits. It's only a matter of time.”
Even as the pendulum appears to be swinging back toward a tough-on-crime approach across the U.S., he cautioned that some blue city leaders have yet to get on board with that approach.
An NYPD vehicle is seen in Times Square in New York City on October 24, 2022. (Photo by Beata Zorzel/Noor Photo via Getty Images)
“The messaging may have changed with the vote in terms of how people feel about what they want police to do in the United States, but cities are in firm hands to defend the police and the abolitionist crowd,” he said.
While the announcement of the chase policy has been criticized, the NYPD made another big change this week — beefing up patrols on subway cars throughout the night days after the head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority told residents that transit crime was just a crime. In their heads.
“The NYPD will roll out an ambitious plan to put two officers on every night train in phases,” the department announced Thursday. “The first phase will officially begin on Monday and will include the first 100 officers. Additional phases will be implemented over the coming weeks with the full process expected to be completed by the end of the month.”
Police released surveillance video showing two suspects pulling out an ATM from a store. UBA also shared a video showing them tearing down a wall with a chain attached to the back of the truck Before the robbery Another one.
Police are asking for the public's help in identifying the thieves.
“Police were informed that between Thursday, September 19, 2024, and Thursday, December 26, 2024, there were a total of 49 incidents involving three unidentified individuals who removed vehicles and license plates,” an NYPD spokesperson told Fox News. digital. “The individuals then used these stolen vehicles to travel to commercial establishments where they forcefully entered and removed ATMs and other property. The individuals fled the locations in various vehicles.”
