By By ANDY HAMILTON / Dowagiac Daily News
NILES – Three men are were taken into custody early Thursday morning in Niles after using a truck to allegedly ram a convenience store and attempting to steal an automated teller machine.
A Michigan State Police press release stated Ronald G. Polega, 32, of Niles, Michael C. Melton, 31, of Buchanan and Thomas J. Holycross, 38, of South Bend, Ind. were arrested early Thursday morning. Arraignments will be held in Cass County District Court.
All three suspects face felony charges of breaking and entering, safe burglary and unlawfully driving away with an automobile. Pending charges include possession of cocaine.
"This was a desperate attempt to obtain a large amount of money by targeting an ATM machine," said Trooper Duane Shears.
According to the press release, three suspects Thursday at about 3 a.m. allegedly attempted to steal the ATM machine from Phillips 66 Express Mart, or Coquillards, at 2560 Detroit Road, in Howard Township. The three suspects allegedly attempted to gain access to the building by ramming a large truck multiple times into the front of the convenience store.
"The pick-up truck used to ram the building was stolen just prior to the attempted theft of the ATM machine," said Michigan State Police Trooper Jason Bailey.
Video surveillance showed the suspects allegedly ramming the building with the dually truck four times and also trying to remove the ATM. The suspects also rammed the ATM trying to open the vault and steal the contents, the press release stated.
Toby Laubach, who co-owns the convenience store with his wife Lynne, said the ATM was chained to the ground and the suspects got out of the vehicle to attempt to shake the machine loose.
Lynne said the ATM contained about $1,300. The suspects were unable to gain access into the ATM and reportedly fled the scene in the truck heading toward Cassopolis on Detroit Road.
"They got nothing. They got zero," Toby said.
The state police report stated the suspects' vehicle was disabled from damage caused by ramming the building. Deputies from the Cass County Sheriff's Department recovered the vehicle on M-60 about two miles north of Express Mart, according to the press release. The suspects reportedly left the vehicle and fled on foot.
A canine unit from the Niles Police Department tracked the suspects to the Marlin Village Mobile Home Community, 2995 E. Detroit Road, about two miles from Express Mart. The dogs led officers to two suspects outside Lot 11 in the mobile home park. A third suspect was located during a search warrant conducted at the Lot 11 mobile home.
Troopers said the store's surveillance system was of great assistance in positively identifying the suspects. The video was used to obtain clothing descriptions to match to the suspects located at the mobile home.
The Laubachs said they have owned the convenience store for nearly 14 years. Toby said they installed 16 digital cameras in the business about two years ago.
"I got cameras everywhere," he said.
The owners' insurance agent had already been to the store by 11 a.m. Thursday and a construction crew and friends were cleaning up the storefront.