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Bungling thieves left a Safeway parking lot ATM looking like this. And they lost a car

Bungling San Francisco thieves tried and failed to make off with an ATM last week in a flop of a heist at the Diamond Heights Safeway, police said.

A person pushes a cart towards a Safeway grocery store at dusk, with shopping carts and bright store lights visible.
Diamond Heights Safeway, the scene of a failed ATM heist. | Source: Garrett Leahy/The Standard

Bungling San Francisco thieves tried and failed to make off with an ATM last week in a flop of a heist at the Diamond Heights Safeway, police said.

Officers responded to the incident just after 3:30 a.m. Friday in Safeway’s parking lot near Gold Mine Hill. Sadly, for the thieves, the ATM did not turn out to be a gold mine for them, as they failed to remove it and lost a car in the process, according to the police union.

“They failed. Both literally and figuratively,” the San Francisco police union joked on X (opens in new tab).

No arrests have been made, and the thieves fled in a second vehicle, police said Tuesday.

A damaged Bank of America ATM is cordoned off with yellow caution tape in a parking lot during twilight.
The mangled remains of an ATM targeted by bungling thieves is left behind in the Diamond Heights Safeway parking lot. | Source: Garrett Leahy/The Standard
An ATM structure with "Bank of America" logo, surrounded by caution tape, appears damaged or under construction.
The leaning tower of a failed attempt is seen in Safeway parking lot. | Source: Garrett Leahy/The Standard

READ MORE: San Francisco Businesses Spend Big Bucks Fighting ATM Thieves

The latest attempted ATM theft comes as other San Francisco business owners have installed extra security in what police say is a spike in ATM thefts. Some methods have included steel-reinforced doors, multiple locks, chains and extra cameras to prevent break-ins.

A Safeway manager declined to comment and said the ATM belongs to Bank of America. The bank has yet to comment on the failed theft.