Florida thieves use blowtorch to open ATM, but weld it shut instead

OKALOOSA ISLAND, Fla. — These thieves must have failed their industrial arts class in high school.

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Authorities on Florida's Panhandle are trying to track down two men who on Friday tried to use a blowtorch to break into an ATM, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office wrote Monday in a Facebook post.

Instead of grabbing the money, the two men botched the job by welding the hinges of the ATM shut, the Sheriff’s Office said.

A worker who came to service the ATM on Saturday at the Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island found burn marks on the machine's hinges and locks, according to the Sheriff Office's Facebook post.

“Instead of cutting the ATM with the blowtorch, the would be thief welded the metal parts shut and the pair left with nothing,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote.

According to video surveillance, two white men with their faces covered entered the building around 3:15 a.m. The Sheriff’s Office released still shots from the surveillance cameras.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office at 850-651-7400; Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS; EmeraldCoastCrimeStoppers.com; or by using the P3 Tips Mobile application.

Cox Media Group