Two men were arrested by the University of Wisconsin Police Sunday after attempting to steal an ATM machine from the gift shop at the Henry Vilas Zoo.
According to the incident report, Joshua Holmgren, 24 and Stenard Underwood, 26, were seen loading the ATM machine into a vehicle at approximately 3:40 a.m.
“Someone called to report two males were stealing the ATM and they had loaded it into a car,” said Lt. Dave McCaw of the Madison Police Department. “They were evidently able to give us a vehicle description and the vehicle was spotted by the UW Police Department.”
McCaw said an employee of JBM Patrol and Protection Corporation was patrolling the zoo at the time of the incident and spotted the two suspects.
“Evidentially they work security there and the security guard saw the guys leaving [through the gift shop],” McCaw said.
McCaw added the security corporation is a 24-hour business, and there was only one security officer at the zoo at the time of the incident. When the security guard called the MPD, the UWPD picked up the call from the MPD radio.
According to McCaw, when there is an incident and a specific location, vehicle number and direction of the vehicle reported, the closest police department attends to the scene of the crime.
According to the report, once the UW police located the vehicle, the two subjects fled on foot.
A perimeter was then established and at the end of a 12-minute search, the two suspects were in the custody of the police, McCaw said.
Holmgren and Underwood were charged with robbery, criminal damage to property and resisting arrest, McCaw said.
The suspects took the machine for money, according to McCaw, adding the MPD have seen many cases like this throughout Madison.
“It is absolutely common for people to steal ATMs.” McCaw said. “For as long as there have been portable ATM machines people have been trying to steal them.”
The UW police and the Henry Vilas Zoo, located at 700 S. Randall Ave., were unavailable for comment as of press time.
Those with information regarding crime in the downtown area are advised to call Madison Crime Stoppers at (608) 266-6014.
