BOONE COUNTY, Mo. — Carlos Eduardo Hernandez-Moreno, 21, of Brighton, Colorado, was arrested on August 30, 2025, for alleged theft and property damage involving an ATM at the Missouri Credit Union Bank on Buttonwood Drive.
The Columbia Police Department (CPD) responded to an ATM alarm at approximately 11 p.m. on August 31. Upon arrival, officers found Hernandez-Moreno in a silver Kia Optima with Colorado plates at the ATM drive-thru, where the machine was still dispensing cash.
Police discovered Hernandez-Moreno in possession of $25,000 in cash along with several laptops and computer equipment inside the vehicle. According to court documents, the ATM dispensed a total of $20,000 in three separate withdrawals, which the bank’s Vice President stated should never have been dispensed due to machine limits.
Hernandez-Moreno, who claimed to be from Venezuela and traveling from Atlanta to Denver, said the money was saved over two years from cleaning cars and houses, intending to return to his home country. CPD suspects Hernandez-Moreno may be part of a larger criminal organization.
He was charged with First-Degree Property Damage to a Teller Machine and Stealing $25,000 or More from a Teller Machine. Hernandez-Moreno is being held at Boone County Jail without bond on an immigration detainer.
