Miami Police are investigating two separate ATM smash and grab attempts early Thursday in a trend that's sweeping through Miami-Dade.
The first attempt happened at Discount Supermarket at 222 Northeast 25th Street just before sunrise.
Surveillance video shows a four-door car back up to the store and at least three men get out to set up and break through the glass door.
The owner of the store, Mohammad Islam, said the suspects tried to use a chain to rip the store's ATM out, but were unsuccessful.
"They left everything, the chain and everything is there," Islam said. "They came with a small car so they thought it was gonna be easy to take out the ATM machine...not so easy."
Islam, who's owned the store for about eight years, said the thieves caused around $3,000 worth of damage, all to get at an ATM that usually contains no more than $1,000.
"Of course, I mean they couldn't get the ATM machine and now we have to pay a lot of money to fix the door and everything," he said. "And business is slow."
He said whoever did it cased the place beforehand and clipped the store's alarm wires.
"I think whoever did this, they knew about the store because that's how they are able to get information," he said.
Police were at the scene dusting for prints and collecting evidence Thursday morning.
Not far away, at a check cashing store at 2905 Northwest 27th Street, police say thieves were able to steal an ATM machine, which was later recovered.
Police said they don't know if the two burglaries are related.
At least two other similar ATM smash and grabs have been reported in Miami-Dade in the last few days. One heist was unsuccessful but the crooks were able to get away with an ATM in the other.
Police are investigating the burglaries.
