HOUSTON — Using drive-up ATMs is a convenient way to get cash, but it can also make you a target for crooks.
The Houston Police Department posted a video from an ATM in southwest Houston that shows a driver pulling up to an ATM and being robbed by a man with a gun.
It happened on Oct. 27 at around 9 p.m. at the ATM on Fondren just south of Bellaire. As the driver was getting his money, the man with a gun quickly appeared and demanded his money. The driver handed over his cash and the suspect took off.
"I feared for my life. I was nervous. I gave them the money, I said, 'don't shoot,'” victim Emilio Martinez said during an interview with KHOU 11 News on Tuesday -- after HPD released the surveillance video.
Martinez said he told the suspect that he didn’t speak English that well.
So, the robber replied, “Dinero, dinero!” multiple times, he said.
"When robbed me, I saw his face, he was not wearing anything to cover his face," Martinez said. "Just a hat, pants, and a shirt. His accomplice was behind him and was grabbing himself as if he had a gun.”
A retired FBI agent told us he never uses walk-up or drive-up ATMs if he can help it. He added that being aware of your surroundings might not help that much with a crime that can occur so fast. But other advice includes not being distracted at the ATM and using an indoor bank, when possible.
"I hope the suspects pay for what they did to me,” Martinez said.
If you know anything about the crime you're asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly. Tipsters must contact Crime Stoppers directly to remain anonymous and to be considered for a cash payment by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitting an online tip at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app.