Police: Thieves use stolen forklift to haul away ATM

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police are investigating what they’re calling an unusual and brazen crime on the east side of Indianapolis.

Police said someone took off with an ATM using a stolen forklift.

It happened at the Kemba Credit Union near English Avenue and Shortridge Road early Thursday morning.

“Totally mind blown,” said Kevin Davis, who lives on the east side. “I can’t believe the ATM machine that I use personally at my bank has been stolen.”

Davis takes the bus to go to work five days a week, passing by the credit union along the way.

The ATM used to be in front of the bank. Now there’s an empty space with broken wires on the ground.

Davis said he was walking Thursday morning when he noticed a forklift not too far from the bank. He said he didn’t think much of it.

“I was over there yesterday morning, but I didn’t know the reason why it was parked there,” said Davis. “It was left running over there so I just thought it might have been somebody who worked over there in that area.”

Police said they received a call from the bank about a theft. Officers searched the area for evidence and found the forklift nearby.

They learned it had been stolen from a construction site about a mile away in the 7600 block of Brookville Road.

“It’s one of those weird cases. The suspects used a stolen forklift that they had stolen from a nearby construction to actually lift the ATM off of its foundation,” said IMPD Sgt. Kendale Adams saud. “It’s a very odd case. Obviously it has to be someone that knows how to operate a forklift.”

Officers spent time searching from the air and from the ground for the ATM, but they had no luck.

Police are hoping someone from the community can help them solve the case.

“It’s not something that we see every day, and that’s why we’re hopeful that someone would call us,” said Adams. “They got to see an ATM machine either in somebody’s yard or off to the side of the road.”

The credit union president told 24-Hour News 8 no one was at the credit union when the theft happened.

If you know anything about this case, you’re asked to call Crime Stoppers at (317) 262- TIPS.