Keystone hit by string of ATM break-ins on Astini News

& SUMMIT COUNTY - At the Kickapoo Tavern in Keystone, manager Billy Wheat says normally the off season is quite a uneventful. This spring, it was different. Just after the ski area shut down, someone broke into the restaurant and took their ATM machine.&

"The guy drug it out - probably had some help cause it's real heavy but we found it by the creek in the morning," Wheat said.

Summit County Undersheriff Derek Woodman says since spring, 6 ATM's have been broken into.

"Most recently - in the past two nights - we had two that were broken into," Woodman said.

One ATM was at Copper Mountain, another at the Goat. The Keystone Conference Center has been hit twice, the Keystone Adventure Center had $1,200 taken from its ATM and police think several more have been hit by the same person in Breckenridge and Frisco.

"The way this person is accessing into the ATM, there has to be specific knowledge," Woodman said.

All the ATM's that were hit were badly damaged from someone trying to get to the cash box, but since they didn't have security cameras, police don't have much to go on. They do have a suspect description and are seeking information and help from the public.

"We have a general description of a male dressed all in black," Woodman said.

A Keystone employee did report that he saw a male about 6 feet tall wearing all black and carrying a duffle bag.

Wheat wants fellow business owners to be on the lookout.

"Just want to tell all my neighbors to keep a look out for these guys," Wheat said.

The good news in his case is that whoever took their ATM didn't take any money because it was empty at the time, but he's still had to beef up his security which now includes an old, big, yellow dog.

"We have the security dog Lucca," Wheat said.

Wheat says at least he works for cheap.

"He's just here really to pick the French fries up off the ground," Wheat said.

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