DRAPER, Utah – Another recent burglary in Draper may be related to several similar crimes that have occurred around the Salt Lake Valley.
The ProStop convenience store near 11300 South Bangerter Highway was burglarized Sunday night, and the suspects smashed their way inside before emptying an ATM.
Within about a minute they get what they are after, the cash contents of the machine. And despite an alarm being tripped, they were gone before police arrived.
"They act like a well-oiled machine, if you will, the way they do the burglaries and how they go about doing their processes," said Sgt. Chad Carpenter of Draper Police Department.
There are now well over a dozen similar burglaries in the south end of Salt Lake County, and possibly even some related cases in Utah County, and police say enough is enough.
They want to catch these guys as quickly as possible.
"A lot of the similarities is they are using the pry-bars, and they're able to access into the ATM," Carpenter said. "They've actually used saws all now, to cut the security devices on the ATM, so they've actually, they're learning as they are going and they are doing a better job at getting into the machines."
While police are not certain there is a connection, it appears as though there are now two groups of pry-bar prowlers out there striking businesses. Draper PD and Cottonwood Heights PD alone have at least a dozen similar crimes under investigation.
Anyone who recognizes the individuals in the security footage or who has information about the alleged crimes is asked to contact Draper PD.