Attic escape plan doesn’t work for pair suspected in Modesto ATM break-in
Two men who triggered a silent alarm while trying to break into an ATM were arrested early Monday in a neighboring business they’d entered through its attic, Modesto police reported.
Officers were dispatched about 1:30 a.m. to the Century Center shopping center at East Orangeburg Avenue and Oakdale Road. A tampering alarm had been triggered at the two Wells Fargo ATMs on the wall of a building on the center’s south side, Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear said.
When officers arrived, they heard drilling and movement in the room between the two ATMs, she said. Officers tried to make contact with the people in the room, who then entered the building’s attic. The burglars crossed over The UPS Store and went down into the jewelry store Terry’s Touch of Gold, triggering its alarm also, Bear said.
Officers entered the jewelry store and took into custody Randall Elson, 33, of Escalon and John Malik, 35, of Modesto. The pair were unsuccessful in breaking into either of the ATMs, Bear said.
A Modesto Fire Department ladder truck was brought to the scene to aid police officers in entering the attic space for their investigation.
Elson faces charges of commercial burglary, committing a felony while out on bail, violation of parole, conspiracy, possession of burglary tools and looting. Malik faces charges of commercial burglary, conspiracy and possession of burglary tools.
Looting is an enhancement being added to applicable cases during the coronavirus lockdown, Bear said. It was not immediately known why only Elson and not Malik was given the enhancement.
In an open letter on its Facebook page last week, addressed to “criminal opportunists,” the Police Department noted looting:
“We have identified additional laws, and have worked with the District Attorney to ensure these laws are enforced justly and equally during this state of emergency. This includes the act of looting, which is covered under 463 PC, which states in part any person who commits a theft related offense including but not limited to burglary, grand theft, and auto theft during a ‘state of emergency’ or ‘local emergency’ is guilty of an additional charge on top of the original crime committed.
“Not only will you be charged with an additional crime, it is very likely we will post your photo to all of our social media platforms (which has a reach of not only over 130,000 of our community members but the local and state media as well) for all to see so they know exactly the type of person you are.”
This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 11:08 AM.
