Man Shoots Change Machine in Attempted Robbery, Leaves Penniless
A man shot a change machine in a Florida laundromat in an attempt to steal its coins, according to reports.
The shooting took place in Winter Haven, Fla., a small city located between Tampa and Orlando.
The man burst into the laundromat and fired several rounds into the machine with his semi-automatic handgun. When no change spurted out, he looked at the machine, and fired again.
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The would-be thief then fled on foot – penniless.
No injuries were reported as a result of the random shooting at the Busy Bubbles laundromat.
The shooting was discovered after the manager saw the machine and reviewed surveillance footage, according to reports.
The shots were unsuccessful in producing any the coins. But Florida police still are searching for the man because he fired a weapon in an attempted robbery.
The incident, which happened shortly after the new year, is still unsolved. The suspect was described as an African-American man, average height and weight, wearing a gray hoody and dark baggy pants.
It is unclear why the man chose to shoot the coin machine.
The unusual armed robbery is common Florida, which reports a high number of weapons-related news stories.
Last week a Ft. Myers, Fla. resident chased away a would-be robber with a gun.
Howard Jarrett was walking around the Jones Mobile Home Park, keeping an eye out for potential crime.
Jarrett noticed a suspicious man walking around the complex, but was unable to tell him to leave right away, so he followed him instead, according to reports.
The man tried breaking into Janice Cash's home, but when she heard the noise, she grabbed her gun and greeted the criminal at the front steps. The presence of a weapon was enough to scare him off.
Police later nabbed the burglar several blocks away, according to reports.
"You come to Jones' Mobile Home Park, you cross Holy Ghost territory at your own risk," said Cash.
