Patrol deputies in Washington recently discovered a very unusual stolen Ford F-350. In the bed of the truck, they found an ATM that had also been stolen, and everything was covered in an “oily substance.”
According to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, deputies located the pickup in July using an AirTag. The agency did not release the exact recovery date or location or explain who placed the tracker.
A sergeant recognized the oil from earlier unsolved ATM burglaries, suggesting a possible connection to cases dating back to early 2025.
The sheriff’s office announced the investigative results on Aug. 12, saying that four suspects had been identified and that more than $10,000 in cash had been recovered.
The Airtag Led Deputies to an Unexpected Discovery
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The official Facebook post describes how the stolen truck and ATM helped investigators connect several cases.
The sheriff’s office said patrol deputies used an AirTag to locate the F-350. When deputies inspected the vehicle, they found the stolen ATM sitting in its bed. Both the machine and the pickup had been covered with the same type of oily material.
The department did not identify the businesses from which the truck and ATM were taken. It also did not specify whether the cash recovered during the investigation came from this particular ATM or from multiple burglaries.
The Oily Coating Matched an Earlier Pattern of Burglaries
Sgt. Dan Brown had recently transferred back to patrol after working with the sheriff’s Tactical Detective Unit. He reportedly recognized the coating as a tactic encountered during a series of unsolved ATM burglaries beginning in early 2025.
In those cases, the sheriff’s office said suspects stole pickup trucks and used them to remove ATMs. They allegedly took the cash before abandoning the vehicles and machines.
Investigators believe the coating was intended to make forensic evidence more difficult to collect, although the department did not identify the substance or describe any laboratory testing. Brown’s observation allowed investigators to compare the newly recovered truck and ATM with evidence from those earlier cases.
Investigators Identified Four Suspects
Patrol deputies worked with backfill detectives, the Major Crimes Unit, and the Tactical Detective Unit during the investigation. Their combined work reportedly resulted in the identification of four suspects and the recovery of more than $10,000.
The department’s Backfill Detective Program allows patrol deputies to support major investigations while developing additional investigative experience. As of the Aug. 12 announcement, the sheriff’s office had not released the names of the four people, listed possible charges or said whether any of them were in custody.