CHICAGO — Two hooded suspects walked into a West Town Citgo like they owned the place, went straight for the ATM, and walked out with nothing but a viral humiliation.
Surveillance video posted Thursday night by local account Chicago Critter shows the pair inside the 24-hour station at Grand and Ashland targeting the cash machine in what police and employees described as an attempted burglary. The clip has already racked up more than 1.7 million views.
The incident unfolded at the Citgo at 1535 W. Grand Ave., a busy corner that has seen this movie before.
According to a CBS Chicago report, two masked men entered the minimart early Monday, Sept. 21. An employee said one appeared to hold the door while the other went after the ATM. After a few minutes of fruitless effort, they fled as officers arrived. A tool was left behind. No money was taken.
The cashier yelled at them to get out. They did, empty-handed.
The same location was cleaned out in April 2024, when a crew yanked the entire ATM off the floor and stuffed it into a waiting car in under two minutes. That earlier heist was also caught on camera. An employee later told reporters the store has been targeted more than once this year.
Chicago has seen a steady drumbeat of ATM hits at gas stations and mini-marts. Crews have used everything from stolen SUVs rammed through storefronts to chains and pickup trucks. Police have issued community alerts. Arrests have been scarce.
This time the suspects didn’t even get that far.
The new video, shot from inside the store near a Red Bull cooler and the service counter, shows two people in dark hooded clothing clustered around the machine. They work at it, reposition, and keep at it. Then they leave. No cash. No getaway score. Just another clip circulating among Chicagoans who have grown tired of watching the same stations get hit.
Online reaction was swift and unsparing. Commenters mocked the pair for the failed effort and asked the obvious question: Why not just get a job?
The Citgo remains open. The ATM is still there. And the cameras, once again, did their job even if the burglars didn’t.
Chicago police have not announced arrests in the latest attempt. Area detectives are investigating. Anyone with information can contact CPD or submit a tip through CPDTIP.com.For the owner of a 24-hour gas station that has now been hit multiple times, the pattern is expensive and exhausting. For everyone else watching the video, it’s another reminder that in some Chicago neighborhoods, the ATM is treated like an all-you-can-steal buffet, except this time the buffet was closed.
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