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WEST VALLEY CITY -- An alert passerby is credited with helping police catch two teenagers accused of trying to steal an ATM from a convenience store.
It happened at the Holiday Oil near 4800 West and 4100 South around 12:30 a.m. Police say the two teens rammed the back end of their truck into the doors of the convenience store, breaking the glass and bending the door frame.
One teen then crawled through the door and tied a rope around the ATM. The other teen hit the gas and tried to drive off.
Sgt. Steve O'Camb with the West Valley City Police Department said, "It looks like the ATM was so secure it busted the rope, which defeated their initial attempt for the ATM."
When stealing the ATM didn't work, the teens returned to the store and tried to open the machine with tools and their own strength.
In the meantime, a passerby saw what was happening and called police. Several West Valley police officers were nearby on another call and spotted the teens in the truck trying to leave the area.
"Our officers did a great job finding them and taking them into custody," O'Camb said. "We have the surveillance video that is fantastic. You can go right down to their bedazzled jeans to identify what they were wearing in the store. We found the rope still in the truck."
"The surveillance is a slam dunk in this case," he added.
Police say the teens caused $2,000 to $3,000 damage to the store. They estimate the same for the ATM.
One suspect has been taken to juvenile detention. The other, Jesus Frias - who turned 18 years old on Halloween -- has been booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on felony burglary charges.
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Written with contributions from Shara Park and Andrew Adams.
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