Officials seeking suspect who stole cash from ATM in Lynnville using truck

Cash was forcibly stolen from an ATM machine at First State Bank on April 1 in Lynnville, but authorities have not yet identified any suspect or suspects.

After receiving an alarm at about 2:21 a.m., Jasper County Sheriff’s Office units were dispatched to the scene at 413 East St. Law enforcement officials located the ATM machine in the parking lot “removed and obviously destroyed,” the sheriff’s office reported in an April 5 press release.

During the investigation, it was determined a white pickup truck was used to remove the machine, allowing money to be stolen. That same morning, a deputy located a white truck matching the description to the vehicle used in the theft. The truck was parked on a gravel road northeast of Lynnville.

Officers later confirmed with the truck’s owner that it appeared to have been stolen. Kyle Terpstra, vice-president and branch manager of First State Bank, told Newton News the ATM was a free-standing unit and was not built-in to the office building or another structure, like some other banks may have.

Jasper County Sheriff’s Office did not state how much money was stolen from the ATM in its press release. Terpstra did not want to disclose the amount either, but he stressed it “was not a big haul.” It could have been a lot worse, Terpstra said. There is no other ATM inside the Lynnville bank.

“The thing ended up in the middle of our parking lot. They pulled the bolts loose when they tugged on it,” Terpstra said noting the bank has submitted an insurance claim and is not yet sure when the new machine will be installed. “...Obviously, this one is out of commission until we have a replacement come in.”

First State Bank has been in business since 1912 and has other locations in Sully, Agency, Brooklyn, Grinnell, and New Sharon.

The case is still under investigation. If anyone has any information regarding the event, please contact the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at 641-792-5912.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com