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The bandits, who've been spotted in a dark-colored pickup truck, apparently used a sledgehammer to smash their way in through front glass doors, Hackensack Police Detective Lt. Ryan Weber said.
Two burglaries occurred within minutes of one another in Hackensack between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, Weber said.
One was at a check-cashing business on Anderson Street and another on Main Street between 3-3:30 a.m. Sunday, he said.
The thieves weren't done, however.
Shortly before 4 a.m., they did the same thing at the Money Stop on southbound Route 17 in Hasbrouck Heights.
Stand-alone cash machines have shrunk over the years. They currently weigh in the neighborhood of 300 or so pounds.
Although they can hold anywhere from $6,000 to $40,000, the sealed metal vaults are similar to safes – in other words: extremely difficult to open without keys.
Police say bashed and battered ATMs are often recovered without any cash missing.
Anyone who might have seen something or has surveillance video or information that could help identify those responsible is asked to contact the Hackensack Police Detective Bureau: (201) 646-7760.
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