Several people were arrested after attempting to steal an ATM in La Mesa early Wednesday morning, according to the FBI.
The incident happened around 2:30 a.m. at a Chase Bank located at 5505 Grossmont Center Dr. Several men appeared to use a tow truck and chain to try and pull the ATM out of the ground.
They pulled the machine approximately 10 to 15 feet from its original secured position onto the tow truck, investigators said.
Federal agents were at the scene and managed to stop the robbery and arrest the men.
On Thursday, FBI agents and La Mesa police released the names of the suspects involved in the attempted ATM theft.
According to agents, the following suspects were taken into custody on federal bank burglary charges: Archie Thomas Armstrong III, 34; Marcus Anthony Hultz, 30; and Fred Murry, 31.
Investigators said they observed Armstrong, Hultz and Murry meeting with each other and traveling in tandem vehicles just before the attempted theft.
Murry drove past the ATM several times in a Nissan Altima and parked a short distance away. He got out of the car, walked toward the ATM and hid behind a dumpster.
Armstrong was then seen near the bank driving a flat-bed tow truck. Armstrong and Hultz placed the ATM onto the truck and were arrested a short time later with help from FBI SWAT Team Agents. Murry fled the scene but was later arrested by La Mesa police.
All three men were booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center, police said. Their case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
