Pair used blowtorch in attempt to steal cash from Chatham ATM: feds

Two people face charges after allegedly trying to remove an ATM from a PNC Bank branch on South Cottage Grove Avenue in Chatham. | Federal court records

A man and woman are charged in federal court after allegedly using a blowtorch while trying to steal cash from a South Side ATM machine.

Before dawn on June 2, Paris Mickle and Tahkisha Hodge were part of a group that tried to remove an ATM from a PNC Bank branch in the 8700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern Illinois District.

At one point, Mickle, 29, used a blow torch on the ATM, while Hodge, 35, tried pulling the ATM with a chain attached to a vehicle, prosecutors said.

Two people face charges after allegedly trying to remove an ATM from a PNC Bank branch on South Cottage Grove Avenue.

They drove off after Chicago police officers arrived, and were each arrested after separate chases, prosecutors said.

They each face a count of conspiracy to commit bank theft, a charge punishable by up to five years in prison, prosecutors said.

Hodge, of Chicago, appeared in court Wednesday, prosecutors said. An initial court appearance for Mickle, of Madison, Wisconsin, has not been scheduled.

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