CG police seek would-be ATM thief

• Image from surveillance video

Cottage Grove police are seeking this man, caught attempting to steal money from a Merchants Bank ATM Tuesday morning. If you have information about the man, call the Cottage Grove Crime Board Tip Line at (651) 458-2801, or Greg Malcolm at (651) 458-6015. (Submitted photo)

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Cottage Grove police are looking for a man caught on video attempting to steal money from a Merchants Bank automated teller machine Tuesday morning.

The attempted break-in occurred at about 4 a.m. at the bank, located at 8711 East Point Douglas Road, said Cottage Grove Police investigator Greg Malcolm.

The man used tape to cover the surveillance camera at the bank, but he didn’t cover the whole screen, Malcolm said. He used some type of utility torch to get the cover off the machine, but couldn’t get to where the money was, he said.

Malcolm said using a torch is an atypical method of breaking into an ATM.

The Cottage Grove Crime Board is offering a reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the man in the video.

If you have information about the man, call the Cottage Grove Crime Board Tip Line at (651) 458-2801, or Malcolm at (651) 458-6015.

Tags: cottage grove, police, atm, theft