SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA – Burglars in the East Bay are going to crazier and crazier lengths to break into ATMs.
On Sunday at around 2:20 in the morning, police say that burglars broke into the Target store on Bishop Drive. They then reportedly placed an explosive device—a bomb—near the ATM at the east entrance to the store.
Police say the burglars detonated the bomb, blowing apart the ATM to access the cash inside. They appear to have fled with the money.
The bomb reportedly caused significant damage to the area around the ATM. The Target store was closed the day after but is expected to reopen this week.
The bomb was apparently homemade, as police described it as an “improvised explosive device.” Normally, these kinds of explosives are associated with war zones, not quiet suburbs in the East Bay.
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Because of the brazen and violent nature of the crime, the FBI has been called in to investigate. They were reportedly processing the crime scene and the immediate aftermath of the explosion.
Thankfully, because of the time of day the bombing took place, no one was injured. But these kinds of attacks have a tendency to escalate.
That happened in Lafayette, California, where thieves initially drove a car through the front of a CVS pharmacy in the early hours of the morning to access the ATM. Later, thieves returned in broad daylight to steal money from the same store while customers were inside.
In San Ramon, we saw a similar trend where nighttime robberies at convenience stores and other targets ultimately escalated into a daytime attack on a local optician’s office. In that case, a staff member happened to know martial arts and fought off the attackers. Such a thing would not be possible if they were armed with explosives.
The bombing at the San Ramon Target is a very concerning escalation. San Ramon consistently ranks as one of the safest cities in America, but this high-profile and shocking event may call that into question.
San Ramon police and the FBI are actively investigating. If you have any information or footage from the area around the time of the explosion, it’s essential to contact the police right away. You can email Detective Hugh Cotton at hcotton@sanramon.ca.gov or contact the FBI at media.sf@fbi.gov.
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