Police still investigating theft of Bella Vista ATM
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2008
BELLA VISTA — The investigation of the theft of a 3, 200-pound ATM from the Pulaski Bank on Riordan Road is “ definitely active, ” Bella Vista Police Department detective Ed Williams said.
Thieves stole the ATM shortly after 2 a. m. June 30 by pulling the machine out of its concrete base using a stolen front-end loader, then placing the ATM onto the bed of a black Dodge truck.
The culprits took the ATM to the site of the former Sunset Motel on Sunset Drive, where they tried to open the machine by shoving it off the truck’s tailgate. Their plan failed, and the thieves walked away without the money, Bella Vista police officials said.
Police have spent more than a week searching for the owners of the truck, which was also stolen.
Williams began the search at Billingsley Ford Lincoln Mercury in Ardmore, Okla., because the auto dealer’s name was the only identifying information on the truck, Williams said.
Billingsley personnel gave police the name of the local owners, the detective said. Williams then talked to the owners’ next of kin and learned that Wells Fargo Bank had repossessed the vehicle.
The bank refused to release any information until a subpoena was served. Williams obtained the subpoena July 3, and it was served over the holiday weekend.
Wells Fargo informed Williams on Tuesday that the pickup truck is now owned by Van Divers Auto in Bentonville, Williams said.
When the detective asked sales personnel at Van Divers about the Dodge, the employees checked and discovered the truck was missing from their lot.
“ They didn’t have a clue it was stolen, ” Williams said. The truck was one of six or seven black Dodge trucks on the sales lot, he explained.
The investigation heated up Wednesday when Williams and Bella Vista Police Department detective Barb Shrum interviewed two suspects and cleared them, Williams said. This is an elimination process, he said, noting that police have several more people to question.
While Police Chief Jim Wozniak said earlier that fingerprints were recovered from the stolen items, Williams said he couldn’t comment on that information.
However, Williams said he is certain the suspects are local.
So far, police officials have received only one telephone call about the theft. The caller reported seeing the 30, 000-pound front-end loader on U. S. Highway 71 the morning of the theft, Williams said. The information has given him a better idea of the timeline for the crime, he said.
Anyone with information about any questionable activities around 2: 25 a. m. June 30 is asked to call Bella Vista police at 855-3771.
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