Thieves damage DeKalb County CVS during ATM theft

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County police are investigating an attempted smash-and-grab ATM theft at a CVS Pharmacy early Tuesday morning.

The crime happened shortly before 4 a.m. at the store on the 2500 block of Lawrenceville Highway.

FOX 5 cameras saw that the bricks in the front of the business were completely torn apart, and the front door had suffered serious damage. There was bright yellow straps used for transporting large cargo near the front of the store. The glass panes of the store's large windows right of the front door had been shattered.

Multiple police officers were at the scene. Officials say detectives are on their way to see if they can find any evidence. 

Investigators have not shared any details about possible suspects or what vehicle may have been used in the alleged smash-and-grab. Police say that part of the ATM is missing but have not said if the thieves got the cash box. 

CVS smash-and-grab attempt caught on camera

A camera at a nearby store captured the thieves who clearly had a plan. In the video, you can see the group back what looks like a U-Haul truck into the front of the store multiple times. The crooks then appear to drag something out of the building. 

"In this world, you gotta expect the unexpected," Bill Zurmuehl, the manager of a nearby auto repair shop. "People will do anything these days. Yes, there are security cameras, but all they're going to do is provide video." 

According to the camera’s time stamp, this happened around 4:10 Thursday morning. "It's just ridiculous," Zurmuehl said. "If you want to earn money, do it the right way…get a job." 

If you have any information that could help with the investigation, call the DeKalb County Police Department.

ATM thefts at metro Atlanta CVS stores

This is the third similar smash-and-grab case involving metro Atlanta CVS Pharmacies in the last five months.

On Aug. 9, police say a group of burglars used a truck to smash through the front doors of a store on Cascade Road to steal the ATM inside. 

In July, a Cobb County store on the corner of Parkwood Circle and Powers Ferry Road was the target. In that case, employees told FOX 5 that the would-be thieves used a U-Haul to break into the store and fled the scene right before officers arrived.

Investigators say they found a large chain in the store's parking lot and learned that the suspects had rammed the vehicle into the store's doors to get into the building. Once inside, officials say the group tried to use a chain to steal the entire ATM but failed to get it out of the CVS. 

Authorities have not said whether the three crimes were connected or if they've made any arrests in the case.