NEW ORLEANS — Witnesses say thieves smashed a pickup truck into the front of a New Orleans donut shop on Tuesday morning before stealing the store's ATM.
Employees tell WWL-TV the crash happened after 4:30 a.m. at the Tastee Donuts in the 2500 block of Esplanade Avenue. They say a car smashed into the front of the building prompting them to run out the back of the building to safety.
The employees said two men had guns and tried to shoot security cameras while working to steal the shop's ATM machine. The thieves then used the pickup truck to remove the ATM before driving off.
"I know they’re going to be mad once they open it up that’s a waster of time, we’re losing a day of work over something that’s real stupid," said Michael Ulmer, an employee at the Tastee Donuts. "Go find a job do something sweep up the street go help your mom out, come on. The stuff you’re doing here is irrelevant it’s sad."
The President of the Fairgrounds Triangle Neighborhood Association, Morgan Clevenger, says losing the donut shop while repairs are being made will be a terrible blow to the community.
"New Orleans is all about people coming together everything we do, We’re outside people, we gather, we connect, and the fewer places we have to do that we lose a bit of us," said Clevenger.
Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call NOPD detectives at 504-658-6010. They can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111.
This is a developing story. Stay with WWL-TV for updates as new information becomes available.
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