JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – A bar break-in was caught on camera early Friday morning in Jefferson County. The thief got away with an ATM containing more than $2,000, but the bar’s owners said it could have been much worse.
It happened at 21 Rock Bar and Grill off Route 21 in Arnold just minutes after the bar closed and cleared out for the night.
Surveillance cameras show a man in a hoodie wearing a bandana brazenly breaking into the bar. After busting through the front door, you can hear alarms going off as the thief runs to the other side of the business. The video shows that he then yanks the ATM off of the wall and drags it out to his car.
As bartender Lisa Christensen explains, the man pulled up in a white SUV that appeared to be missing plates and backed the car up near the front door.
“He sat there for a minute, like he was thinking,” Christensen said.
The man then disappeared for a moment, only to return with what looked like a rock.
“He came back, broke the door, all glass; he just shatters it, and then he goes and steals the ATM and takes off,” Christensen said.
The bar owners tell FOX 2 that there was just $2,400 inside the ATM, and the thief didn’t touch the cash register or any other valuables behind the bar. Still, they said they hope the police can catch the culprit before he does this to another business.
“Hopefully we can catch this guy,” Christensen added.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the break-in. FOX 2 will continue to follow their investigation. According to the department’s website, anyone with information can call 636-797-5515.
