Two liquor stores in Manteca had windows and doors smashed early Monday morning as thieves were attempting to steal ATM machines – one on Louise Avenue and the other on East Yosemite Avenue — less than an hour apart.
Two thieves dressed in stocking caps and hoodies described as white males in their 30s backed their late model white delivery van into the Tower Liquors at 351 West Louise Avenue shortly before 3 a.m. When they were unsuccessful in removing the machine, they went to the Manteca Liquors store across town on East Yosemite Avenue at Northwoods Drive near Highway 99.
The owner of Manteca Liquors Sam Singh said he was totally disheartened when viewing the security video he saw numerous cars driving by the front of this store during the burglary with no one taking the time to call the police.
Singh noted that the two men could be seen on his security video footage unloading items believed to be burglary tools from their van and driving a steel four-foot-long rod through the lower glass of the front door and crawling into the store underneath the door’s bar handle. 
The video continued to follow the men as they ran down an aisle in the store to the ATM machine and pulled it away from its mounting against the far wall.  They were seen carrying it toward the door and easing it through the smashed out opening in the glass and placing it in the back of their van.
Singh said there was probably less than $500 in the machine because of the estimated normal weekend withdrawals. His insurance company is most likely responsible for the loss, he added.
Hearing of the two thefts, one Manteca merchant told of a similar ATM loss to a friend’s convenience store in Santa Clara.  He said a customer complained that he had put his card into the machine and attempted to withdraw $100 but nothing came out of the machine.  The customer asked for the 800 number to the firm owning the ATM and acted like he was calling them on his cell phone.  When he hung up he told the merchant that the company was coming out to pick up the machine and would replace it the next week.
Ed Cardoza, Jr., of Cardoza enterprises, owner of the Tower Liquor building said the robberies sound identical to one they suffered several years ago at a convenience store they own on Louise and Cottage avenues in the manner it was carried out.
Two well-dressed men arrived an hour later and loaded the ATM into their van – never to be seen again.

To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.