Northeast
'Midnight Smashers' seen ripping ATMs out of small businesses in brazen crime spree on video
A shadowy group of thieves has been ripping off small business owners in New York City – yanking ATMs out of the ground with vans and tow chains or carrying them out of stores by hand, video shows.
At least 49 businesses have been robbed so far in the spree, according to the United Bodegas of America (UBA) trade group, which is offering a $5,000 bounty on the bandits. Bodega is often used as the term for a convenience store or small grocery shop in the city.
The NYPD said investigators believe the thieves are a group of three who are using stolen cars to conduct the crimes, which have been reported in at least 25 of the city’s 78 precincts.
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A pair of thieves drag an ATM out of a small business in New York City. The NYPD is on the hunt for three suspects in connection with at least 49 similar burglaries. (NYPD)
Radhames Rodriguez, the UBA president, told Fox News Digital that authorities need to go back to fully prosecuting low-level crimes and criticized the NYPD’s newly announced pursuit policy, which bans police from chasing suspects for non-violent and lower tier crimes.
“While we understand the need for balance in law enforcement, limiting pursuits to only suspects involved in violent felonies and misdemeanors sends a dangerous message to criminals who commit low-level crimes,” he told Fox News Digital. “These so-called ‘minor offenses’ are often the breeding ground for more serious crimes, creating a sense of lawlessness and impunity.”
While the city has taken steps to counter rising crime, business owners see the new chase policy as a step backward.
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Thieves rip the wall out of the side of a New York City store to steal an ATM from inside. The NYPD is on the hunt for three suspects in connection with 49 similar crimes, which also involve stolen vehicles. (UBA)
“Accountability needs to exist at every level of criminal activity,” Fernando Mateo, a UBA spokesman, told Fox News Digital. “Low-level crimes must not be dismissed as insignificant because they escalate. Today it’s shoplifting, tomorrow it’s armed robbery.”
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Wednesday that new vehicular pursuit guidelines would minimize the risk of collateral damage.
According to the NYPD, 25% of car chases in 2024 led to a collision, property damage or injury. Two-thirds of them started with traffic stops where the suspect fled. Officers are no longer allowed to pursue under such circumstances.
The new rules limit officers to car chases only for serious crimes – felonies and violent misdemeanors.
“The NYPD’s enforcement efforts must never put the public or the police at undue risk, and pursuits for violations and low-level crimes can be both potentially dangerous and unnecessary,” Tisch said in a statement. “The advanced tools of modern-day policing make it possible to apprehend criminals more safely and effectively than ever before, making many pursuits unnecessary.”
NYC GROUP ROBBED 49 STORES ALL OVER CITY, STOLE ATMS, CASH: POLICE
New York Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch hold a press conference on Dec. 19, 2024 in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
The ATM thieves remain at large.
Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the new guidelines do not actually present a major shift, however.
“The policy has always been that way – it’s up to the patrol supervisor to cancel any vehicle pursuit based on certain factors [as] written in the patrol guide,” he told Fox News Digital. “She’s putting it out there to let everybody know – it was already there, but to reinforce it eventually, the New York City Council will go full Chicago and ban all pursuits, including foot pursuits. It’s only a matter of time.”
Even as the pendulum appears to have begun swinging back toward a tough-on-crime approach across the U.S., he warned that some blue city leaders are not on board yet.
An NYPD vehicle is seen in Times Square in New York City on Oct. 24, 2022. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“The messaging may have changed with the voting in regards to how people feel about what they want the police to do in the United States, but the cities are in firm hands with the defund the police, abolitionist crowd,” he said.
While the announcement on its pursuit policy has been criticized, the NYPD made another big change this week – upping patrols on overnight subway cars days after the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority told residents that transit crime was just in their heads.
“The NYPD will be rolling out the ambitious plan to put two officers on every overnight train in phases,” the department announced Thursday. “Phase 1 will officially begin on Monday and include the first 100 officers. Additional phases will be rolled out over the coming weeks with the expectation that the full operation will be complete by the end of the month.”
Police have released surveillance video showing two of the suspects hauling an ATM out of a store. The UBA also shared video showing them ripping a wall down with a chain attached to the back of a van before stealing another one.
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Police are asking for the public’s help identifying the thieves.
“It was reported to the police that between Thursday, September 19, 2024, and Thursday, December 26, 2024, there have been a total of 49 incidents involving three unidentified individuals who removed vehicles and license plates,” an NYPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The individuals then used these stolen vehicles to travel to commercial establishments where they forcibly entered and removed ATMs and other property. The individuals fled the locations in various vehicles.”
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A fire ripped through a recycling center in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Thursday evening, emergency officials said.
The fire erupted around 6 p.m. at a Doylestown Waste Recycling building on 1510 Swamp Road. The facility mainly recycles construction debris, according to the company’s website.
Chopper 3 was over the scene as firefighters battled flames at the heavily damaged building. Large plumes of smoke could be seen from miles away.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
No injuries have been reported.
Rhode Island
State agencies advise avoiding contact with three Rhode Island waterbodies over algae blooms – What’s Up Newp
The Rhode Island Department of Health and Department of Environmental Management are advising people to avoid contact with three waterbodies, including Upper Melville Pond in Portsmouth, because of harmful algae blooms.
The advisory also applies to Wenscott Reservoir in North Providence and Wilson Reservoir in Burrillville. Water samples were collected by DEM and tested by the Health Department’s State Health Laboratories, and initial samples at all three locations exceeded the advisory threshold.
All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, is considered high risk and should be avoided at the affected waterbodies, the agencies said. The blooms are caused by blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which are naturally present in bodies of water but can produce toxins harmful to humans and animals.
Officials urged caution in all areas of the three waterbodies, as blooms can move locations within ponds and lakes. People should not drink untreated water or eat fish from the affected waters, and pet owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in them. The advisory remains in effect until further notice, with follow-up samples to be collected to confirm the water is safe before it is lifted.
Skin contact with water containing the blooms can cause rashes, sore throat and irritation of the eyes and nose, while swallowing the water can cause stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. More serious but less common effects may affect the liver and nervous system or cause irregular heartbeat, dizziness or seizures. Young children, pets and people who are immunocompromised or have certain underlying health conditions may be at greater risk.
Anyone who comes into contact with a bloom should rinse their skin with clean water right away and shower and wash their clothes afterward. Pets exposed to the water should be washed immediately and kept from licking algae from their fur, and a veterinarian should be called if a pet shows signs of illness such as tiredness, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea within a day. People who feel sick after contact should call a healthcare provider.
Officials said affected waters may show bright to dark green scum along the shoreline, with thick algae floating on the surface resembling green paint, pea soup or green cottage cheese. People and pets should avoid any water that looks like this.
Suspected blooms can be reported to DEM’s Office of Water Resources at DEM.OWRCyano@dem.ri.gov or by calling 401-222-4700. More information and a Cyanobacteria Tracker Dashboard listing current advisories are available at dem.ri.gov/bluegreen.
Joshua Severance (Courtesy: Rutland City Police Department)
COTTONWOOD, Ariz. – A man wanted for a violent kidnapping and sexual assault in the Verde Valley was hit with an 11-count grand jury indictment on Thursday, though he has already been sitting in a New England jail cell for nearly a month.
What we know:
Joshua Severance, 39, is facing multiple counts of sexual assault and kidnapping with a dangerous weapon after an attack reported in Cottonwood back in May.
Arizona prosecutors are now launching formal extradition proceedings to bring him back across the country to face trial.
The backstory:
The investigation began on May 20 after a woman reported being attacked near State Route 89A and 12th Street. Police say Severance used a weapon to kidnap and sexually assault the victim, and even blocked her from using a phone to call for help.
While local detectives were working the case in Arizona, Severance reportedly fled to Vermont, where his run from the law quickly ended. On June 4, police in the city of Rutland spotted Severance on patrol and arrested him on a local warrant for luring a child and distributing child pornography, both felony counts.
Dig deeper:
Severance has been held in Vermont on a $25,000 bond since that arrest while Arizona authorities prepared the July 2 indictment on these charges:
- 3 counts of felony sexual assault
- 2 counts of felony kidnapping with a dangerous weapon
- 2 counts of felony attempted sexual assault
- 1 count of felony sexual extortion with a dangerous weapon
- 1 count of felony aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon
- 1 count of felony sexual abuse
- 1 count of felony weapons misconduct
- 1 count of felony criminal damage
- 1 count of misdemeanor preventing the use of a telephone
What they’re saying:
“We are grateful for all the information and leads provided by the public throughout this investigation,” Cottonwood Police said in a statement. “While there is still work to be done, we want to formally recognize and thank all the officers, detectives, and civilian staff who have worked tirelessly on this case. Their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to justice have been exemplary throughout this complex investigation.”
What you can do:
Detectives are still asking anyone with more information about the suspect to call the department at 928-634-4246.
What’s next:
Severance is scheduled to face a Vermont judge on July 20 pending the extradition proceedings.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Cottonwood Police Department and the Rutland City Police Department.
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