Two Charged After ATM Stolen, Dumped In Davie Canal
DAVIE (CBSMiami) – Two men were arrested after they reportedly stole an ATM, used the stolen cash to hit up a casino and then tried to hide the evidence by dumping the machine in a West Davie canal.
Sometime during the overnight hours on Saturday, the ATM was stolen from Pembroke Pines. The machine was free-standing model which was used at a fair, according to Davie police spokesman Captain Dale Engle.
Their plan to dispose of it was not too well thought out," said Capt. Dale Engle with the Davie Police Department. "To try to throw it into a canal, we haven't had a lot of rain and the water levels are down and it at 10 o'clock in the morning with traffic going by, did not work out well for them."
The machine apparently had not been used frequently because it was full of cash, said Engle.
On Sunday a witness reportedly saw two men, identified as 27-year old Kevin Bass and 24-year old Gary Hrinda, dump an ATM into a canal in the 2700 block of SW 136th Avenue. The police were called.
When officers arrived the witness led them to where the ATM was in the water and described the truck they were driving. Police found it parked into front of a residence in the 13300 block of SW 28th Street. When police went to a mobile behind the residence, they took Hrinda and his sister into custody. Bass reportedly refused to come out of the mobile home.
The officers then obtained a search warrant, which was served by a Special Response Team. Bass then came out without incident, according to Engle.
"It's scary," said neighbor Nick Russo, "luckily the guy didn't have a gun or was armed in any sort."
After interviewing the three people, Bass and Hrinda were arrested in connection to the ATM theft. They reportedly got about $2,000 out of the machine which used to gamble at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino.
Bass has been charged with grand theft, littering (over 500 pounds), possession of marijuana and DUI with property damage. Hrinda was charged with grand theft and littering (over 500 pounds).
