UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Police are investigating after would-be bandits left behind a big mess, and the ATM they were attempting to steal, after ramming a 7Eleven storefront with a vehicle on Watkins Park Dr. in Upper Marlboro.
According to Corporal Lamar Robinson, spokesman for the Prince George's County Police Department, suspects used a vehicle to ram the glass front of the convenience store located in the unit block of Watkins Park Drive around 2:45 a.m.
So far there is no detailed information available on the suspects or the vehicle they used to destroy the storefront, which has been partially reduced to rubble.
So far no injuries have been reported.
Cpl. Lamar says building inspectors are responding to the scene.
This is just one incident in a string of similar heists in the area. Most recently, three suspects made off with an ATM after crashing into the 7 Eleven located in the 7000 block of Finns Lane in West Lanham back on March 13th.
In that incident, Investigators said two of the suspects went into the store and told everyone inside to get on the ground. Then the suspect's laid on top of the employees as a third suspect smashed a white pick-up truck through the store, police said. All three suspects then pushed an ATM onto the bed of the truck and fled the store, according to a police report.
Several hours later, officers said they were called to an empty lot in Landover where they found three stolen ATMs on fire. Police said one of them was the machine stolen from the 7-Eleven in West Lanham. Police also found a stolen white Ford F-250 truck which they believe was used to steal the machine.
Detectives are investigating whether this incident is related to the other ATM thefts in the region.