On Christmas Eve, a daring attempt to steal an ATM unfolded at a Texas convenience store. Thieves used a stolen SUV and a metal cable to yank the machine from its place, but their plan unraveled when the ATM broke loose during their getaway, according to police reports.

The White Settlement Police Department released surveillance footage showing two suspects dragging the ATM through the front glass doors of a 7-Eleven in Fort Worth. The suspects sped off, leaving the ATM behind.

This botched robbery occurred just before 4 a.m. on Wednesday and is suspected to be linked to a series of similar crimes targeting convenience stores across North Texas in recent weeks, authorities noted.

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspects as they work to determine if this incident is part of a larger criminal trend.

Footage captured from the scene shows the chaotic attempt by the thieves at a Fort Worth gas station on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. (Credit: Fort Worth Police)

White Settlement police said in a statement that two men traveled to the store parking lot in the stolen SUV wearing dark-colored clothing with their faces covered.

One of the men smashed the front door with a metal object and attached a cable to the ATM that was already hooked to the vehicle, investigators said.

Officers found extensive damage to the storefront, with debris, shelving and merchandise scattered throughout the store and into the parking lot.

Two men attempted to steal an ATM from a gas station in Fort Worth, Texas, by dragging it through the window. (Fort Worth Police Department)

Police said it took two attempts for the thieves to get the ATM out of the store.

The ATM was dislodged from the vehicle as the suspects fled and was later recovered by police.

Two thieves attempted to steal an ATM on Christmas Eve by towing it through the front of a Texas convenience store with an SUV, but the machine broke free as they fled, police said. (Fort Worth Police)

The black SUV had been stolen in Dallas, investigators added.

Police used license plate readers and city cameras throughout the city to try and locate it about a half-mile from the store.