Man slams truck into Costa Mesa liquor store, steals empty ATM

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who drove a pickup truck into a Costa Mesa liquor store Wednesday and took off with an ATM that, as it turned out, was emptied the night before.

Surveillance video shows the man backing a Toyota truck through the storefront window of Baycrest Wines & Spirits, in the 300 block of East 17th Street, at about 5:30 a.m. The man then loads the ATM into the bed of the truck before taking off westbound of 17thStreet, the Daily Pilot reported.

The store was closed at the time, and no injuries were reported.

The suspect apparently only got the machine out of the theft. The store’s owner, Bryan Nye, told KTLA that he empties the ATM and cash register every night for security purposes.

“The biggest bummer of the whole thing today is I was actually planning on taking off and going to Sea World with my kids. So instead of Sea World, I got a call from the alarm company,” Nye said.

Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Brent McKinley said there was no immediate estimate on the damage to the store.

The suspect was described by police as having a stocky build and wearing a hoodie. They said he was driving a newer-model silver Toyota Tacoma with four doors and paper license plates.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Costa Mesa police at (714) 754-4933.

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Dobruck is a staff writer for Times Community News.

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck