Pleasanton police urge caution after string of robberies at ATM machines

PLEASANTON Local bank parking lots will be dotted with extra police patrols this week after a string of robberies at ATM machines last week Related Articles Police allege East Bay man stole Nintendo games from libraries Attorneys spar over promising prison term as convicted Antioch K cop faces sentencing San Leandro police issue shelter-in-place order as they search for suspect who may be armed Fremont One shot dead one injured in city s first homicide of Fremont company accused of employing Chinese workers illegally discriminating against non-Chinese employees In a announcement police declared that they have increased patrols after two or three defendants with dark clothing and full face masks approached people at the machines and robbed them during early evening hours Police did not specify how various robberies happened In each robbery police commented the individuals threatened and physically assaulted casualties to steal cash Police reported none of the casualties released seeing a weapon but emphasized that does not mean the persons didn t have any Police did not say specifically that they believe the same people committed the robberies but declared that based on revealed similarities in time of day and suspect description detectives believe these incidents are related Each of the robberies had a different getaway bicycle police reported Police advised citizens to be aware of their surroundings when using ATMs especially after dark and that if possibly use indoor ATM s or ones in well-lit areas Police reported they also urged people to avoid pulling out large sums of cash at once Those who may be victimized should call right away