CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Masked burglar smashes through door, tries to steal ATM

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- A bold burglar smashed his way into a local restaurant, and surveillance cameras caught him trying to make off with an ATM.

It happened about 5 a.m. Monday morning at Sahara Pizza and Lounge.

“It’s scary to watch,” employee Anna Chapin said Tuesday. “You hear about it, but to actually see it -- and to know this is your workplace.”

But it’s what happened next that has Chapin really second-guessing her sense of security.



The crook used a stick to smash a camera on the backside of the business, and then he set his sights on the front door and shattered the glass.

Once he made it inside, he pulled out a heavy-duty chain. Employees believe he was after the restaurant's cash machine, but his chain wasn’t long enough.

The crook quickly gave up and took off before police arrived.

Some employees now worry the suspect might come back for a second try, only next time with a longer chain.

“It’s all a big fun party on the weekends and then at the end of the night something like this could have happened,” said Chapin.

Police are sharing still images from the attempted burglary with other nearby law enforcement agencies, hoping to generate leads on the crook’s identity.

Anyone with information in the case is being asked to call the Mount Vernon Police Department.