Van drives through Michigan gas station window, suspects steal ATM

11/15/2017

Three suspects drove a vehicle through the front window of the gas station, located at 9010 Lewis Ave. in Temperance.

THE BLADE/ALLISON REAMER
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TEMPERANCE, Mich. — Sunoco Gas Station employees arranged scattered merchandise Wednesday morning and cleaned shattered glass that was scattered throughout the store. 

They’re picking up the pieces after someone drove a vehicle through the front window of the gas station, located at 9010 Lewis Ave. in Temperance. 

The store manager, Abe Harrouk, received a call from his alarm company regarding the incident at about 2:50 a.m. Wednesday.

Mr. Harrouk said the vehicle, a blue Chrysler Voyager, backed into the building, smashing through the window and struck the ATM. Three people then loaded the ATM into the van and fled, said Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Rob Moody.

Store shelves were pushed toward the back of the store during the break-in.

According to video surveillance, all three wore dark clothing, masks and gloves, the sheriff’s office reported. 

Toledo police located the abandoned vehicle at approximately 6:30 a.m. Wednesday near Miami Street and Oakdale Avenue in East Toledo, said Toledo Police Department spokesman Sgt. Kevan Toney. It was reported stolen near Gribbon Lane, he said. 

The heavily-damaged ATM was inside the stolen van, deputies said. It is unknown how much money was inside the ATM. 

Nothing else was reported missing inside the store.Although the money and the ATM were reported as a loss, the most costly was the loss of business and the loss of inventory, the manager said. He did not have an exact cost estimate. 

Mr. Harrouk said the situation is disappointing.  

“You feel violated,” he said. “You know and love the community. You have loyal customers and customers keeping an eye on the store.”

Store employees gathered Wednesday to sort through candy, put shelves back together, and make sure any remaining glass shards were removed. A repair company was also on site to repair the front window. 

Mr. Harrouk anticipates the gas station will reopen sometime Wednesday. 

No arrests have been made as of late Wednesday afternoon. 

Anyone with information should contact Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jeff Hooper at 734-224-7316.

Contact Allison Reamer at areamer@theblade.com, 419-724-6506 or on Twitter @AllisonRBlade.