Two men, Dixon Daniel Aguiar Escalona, 25, from Davie, Florida, and Jose Luis Alvarez Gonzalez, 22, of Aurora, Colorado, appeared in court on January 6, 2025, to face felony charges for attempted grand theft involving an amount ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. The charges relate to a failed theft attempt at a drive-up ATM in Mitchell on December 30, 2024.
The suspects were identified through video surveillance and two separate traffic stops. Surveillance footage revealed the involvement of two vehicles: a black Ford Fusion and a white Hyundai. While the first group of suspects opened the ATM’s access point, the second group, who were unsuccessful in entering further, attempted to steal cash.
Gonzalez was initially detained during a traffic stop for drug-related charges. Once in custody, authorities reviewed the ATM’s surveillance footage, which linked him to the attempted theft, as well as Escalona’s involvement. After Escalona arrived to bail out Gonzalez, he was arrested on the same charges.
The investigation revealed that three vehicles and five individuals participated in the attempted theft. At the time of the incident, the ATM contained between $5,000 and $100,000. Authorities reported that if the crime had been successful, the machine would have been emptied of its cash. The rise of “jackpotting” incidents, a growing trend of ATM theft, is becoming an increasing concern across South Dakota.