A series of vandalisms across Amador County may have been used as a deliberate distraction from the theft of an ATM machine at a mini-mart in Pine Grove. On July 23, at approximately 4 am, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an alarm at the Pine Grove Stage Stop market in Pine Grove. Upon arrival, deputies found the glass entry door leading into the business had been broken and the ATM had been stolen. Across the County, a series of supposed break-ins were occurring almost simultaneously. Kelly Chisholm, who works the night shift at New York Fitness in Jackson, was cleaning when several large rocks were hurled through the building’s side windows. “I was scared. These were big rocks and I wasn’t going to find out who was throwing them,” said Chisholm. Elsewhere in the County, police officers responded to calls of similar break-ins. Chisholm believes these vandalisms were used as a way to distract police. But this is not the first time the theft of an ATM has occurred.

On July 9, the Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an alarm sounding at the Red Corral Mini Mart in Pioneer. Sheriff’s Investigators are conducting follow up investigations which have included reviewing the surveillance video obtained from both locations, which show the suspects breaking out the glass doors, securing the ATM machines with chain and then using a truck to pull the ATM out of the business.  The ATM is then loaded into the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle flees the area. The suspect vehicle is an extended cab Dodge truck with tinted rear side windows and a tinted sliding rear window. The suspect captured on the surveillance video at Red Corral Mini Mart appears to be a white male, approximately 5’10” tall, weighing approximately 180 lbs, wearing a ball cap, black mask, black tee shirt, light color pants and black gloves. Two suspects were captured on the surveillance video at the Pine Grove Stage Stop. The first was a white male, approximately 5’10” – 6’ tall, wearing a white/green ball cap, green short sleeve shirt, black pants, black gloves and tan boots.  The second was a white male, approximately 5’10” – 6’ tall, wearing a blue/tan ball cap, blue short sleeve shirt, blue pants, black and white gloves and off-white sneakers. The ATMs were valued at 4500 dollars and 5000 dollars. Anyone with any information regarding the suspects or suspect vehicle is asked to call the Amador County Sheriff’s Office at 223-6500 or Amador County Secret Witness at 223-4900.