McDonald’s ATM Hauled Off By 3 Masked Men

ODESSA, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is on the hunt for three men accused of forcing their way into a McDonald’s Wednesday morning and then helping themselves to the store’s ATM.

According to the agency, the crime began to unfold around 3:40 a.m. Aug. 23 at the 8506 Gunn Highway eatery. Deputies say the men smashed out a side window and stepped inside. All three men were wearing masks, the agency noted in an email to media.

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Once in the restaurant, a man wearing a “bunny mask” walked up to the ATM and used a pair of bolt cutters to chomp through its wire, the email said. The ATM was then knocked over and the man in the bunny mask was joined by another suspect, who was wearing a furry mask, in sliding the machine through the broken window.

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Deputies say the three men proceeded to pick the ATM up and carry to an Chrysler minivan. That van was later recovered in the Oldsmar area. Deputies noted the van had been reported as stolen. Inside it, deputies say they found “the remains of the stolen ATM.”

The van’s back seat had also been removed. It, along with the cash that was in the ATM, remain missing.

Detailed descriptions of the three suspects are not available. No further information is available at this time.

Deputies are asking anyone with information about the theft to contact the sheriff’s office at 813-247-8200. Tips may also be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-873-TIPS or by going online to www.crimestopperstb.com.

Photos courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office