NEW ORLEANS — Security cameras captured the moment a group of thieves crashed into the Tastee Restaurant and donut shop on Esplanade Avenue Tuesday morning.
It shows them ram a truck into the restaurant and leave with an ATM.
The crash happened early around 4:30 a.m., according to NOPD, while the bakers were there making donuts. Thankfully no one was hurt, according to employees.
"We were in the back making donuts and we hear someone knocking on doors," Michael Ulmer, a 40-year employee of Tastee said.
Surveillance video shows two people walking up to the locked door around 4:30 a.m. They walk away and 20 seconds later a pickup truck smashes through the restaurant.
"I heard a loud boom, like boom!" Ulmer said.
The employees behind the counter left.
"One guy had a gun so we just ran through the back door and got out of here," Ulmer said.
Thieves are seen trying to pull the ATM from the floor, but are unsuccessful at first. They rammed the truck back through the restaurant two more times until the ATM rips off the ground. The thieves are seen in the video leaving with it.
The manager told us the ATM had a few thousand dollars inside at most.
"We're losing a day of work over something real stupid. Go find you a job, sweep up the streets," Ulmer said in frustration.
"I just feel so bad about what just happened. Why? Money? It's just kind of hard to grasp the concept of what it takes for a person to do what they did," customer Kevin Lewis who showed up for lunch said. "The bottom line is you're taking something away from the community. Now I can't come here to get a burger, I can't bring my girlfriend to get a burger."
The Tastee manager told us he's thankful his employees are okay and isn't worried about the stolen money, but is upset he won't be able to serve his customers for a few weeks until they can reopen
"I'm tired. I can't do this anymore," customer Myra Kelly said. "I've been a nurse for 36 years. Why do I have to live my life at 68 like this? I usually come and get fish. I like fish from here."
Thirty minutes prior to this Tastee incident, at 4 a.m. two suspects tried to steal an ATM on Tchoupitoulas Street according to NOPD. They were unsuccessful. A connection hasn't been established between the two incidents, according to NOPD.
"Governor? Mayor? What are we going to do? National Guard? Military? We need something," Kelly said.
Tastee's manager said he has five employees who will be out of work for a few weeks, but he said he will make sure to take care of them so they don't go unpaid. He hopes to reopen in a few weeks.
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