Thieves tore a cash machine from its moorings outside a South Bay butcher shop early Tuesday and made a failed attempt to steal it, authorities reported.
The botched theft in the 2500 block of Main Street in Chula Vista was reported about 4:45 a.m., according to Chula Vista Police.
Patrol officers arrived to find the would-be thieves gone and the ATM on the ground next to a stolen pickup truck in front of Santa Fe Meats, Lt. John English said. It was unclear what prompted the crooks to flee empty- handed.
Police returned the vehicle to its owner later in the morning, the lieutenant said.
Chula Vista
Investigators had no detailed description of the perpetrators.
–City News Service
