CEDAR FALLS/WATERLOO, Iowa (KWWL) — A Waterloo man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly stealing an ATM, a construction lift, and a truck before leading authorities on a high-speed chase through eastern Iowa.
Cedar Falls police responded around 5:00 a.m. Saturday to an alarm at the Dupaco Community Credit Union, where officers discovered damage to the ATM. Within 10 minutes, another alarm was triggered at Veridian Credit Union.
Witnesses told police they saw someone using a Telelift to load an ATM into a truck near Menards. A Black Hawk County Sheriff’s deputy located the vehicle on I-380 and attempted to pull it over, prompting a high-speed pursuit.
The chase ended on Highway 218 north of Lone Tree Road. Authorities determined the truck had been reported stolen from Waterloo the day before, and the Telelift had been taken from a construction site on Brandilynn Boulevard.
The driver, identified as John Bennet of Waterloo, is now facing a range of charges, including:
Two counts of 1st Degree Theft
Two counts of 1st Degree Criminal Mischief
Theft in the 2nd Degree (motor vehicle theft)
Felony Eluding
Numerous traffic violations
Authorities credit quick coordination between law enforcement agencies for the safe resolution of the incident.
