Stolen Forklift Used in Failed Auburn ATM Heist Attempt

AUBURN, WA — Law enforcement authorities in Auburn are investigating a commercial heist attempt that caused severe damage to an ATM and local property. The perpetrators utilized a stolen industrial forklift in a bold but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to extract cash from the machine.

Theft of Construction Equipment

The incident occurred on June 20, 2024. According to police investigators, suspects gained entry to a nearby construction site during the night. They managed to start and steal a heavy-duty industrial forklift, driving the slow-moving vehicle onto public roads to target a nearby ATM located outside a commercial retail center.

Once at the scene, the suspects used the forklift's metal tines in an attempt to pry open the ATM's secure vault. Despite repeated strikes and causing massive structural damage to the machine's exterior housing and the surrounding concrete pad, the internal cash vault remained intact. The heavy reinforcement of the ATM successfully resisted the assault.

Investigation Ongoing

Realizing that they could not breach the cash vault, the suspects abandoned the stolen forklift at the scene with its engine still running and fled. Police officers responded to reports of vandalism and discovered the heavily damaged ATM and the abandoned construction vehicle. Detectives have processed the forklift and the crime scene for DNA and fingerprint evidence. Authorities are reviewing surveillance video from nearby businesses in an effort to identify the suspects and any accomplice vehicles involved in the getaway.