The Riverside County Sheriffs Office announced the arrest of a man wanted in connection with 29 ATM thefts across Southern California.
On Sunday, January 15, 2023, at 10:40 P.M., deputies from the Perris Station responded to a burglary call in the 300 Block of Wilkerson Avenue in Perris. The victim received a notification that his business was being burglarized and responded to the scene.
The victim observed two unknown suspects stealing the ATM Machine using a tow strap connected to the tow hitch on their Ford Ranger truck. The suspects loaded the ATM Machine in the back of the truck before fleeing the scene.
The Perris Robbery/Burglary Suppression Team (RBST) assumed this investigation and learned there were 9 ATM burglaries, which recently occurred throughout Murrieta, Menifee, Perris, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley, and Norco.
In addition to the ATM burglaries that occurred within Riverside County, RBST learned there were an additional 20 ATM burglaries, which occurred in the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Diego.
All the ATM burglaries utilized the same Ford Ranger to drag an ATM from the business, where it was loaded into the bed of the truck and driven away. Through coordinated efforts with the allied agencies, video surveillance captured the suspect vehicle and license plate.
After further investigation and multiple search warrants the suspect was identified as Paul Kolacki a 34-year-old resident of Riverside.
On June 6, 2023, Kolacki was located in the city of Riverside near the 2000 block of Orange Street where he was taken into custody. Over $6,000 was recovered from the ATM thefts. Kolacki was booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center for the following charges: 6 counts Burglary, 4 counts of Grand Theft, and 6 counts of Vandalism. This investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with additional information is urged to call RBST Deputy Nicholas Ramirez at Riverside County Sheriff’s dispatch at (951) 776-1099, or the Perris Station at (951) 210-1000.
