CEDAR FALLS – A man is behind bars after cops say he used a stolen Telelift from a construction site to load two ATM machines into a stolen pickup truck then hightail it north on Highway 218 out of Cedar Falls, only to discover that stop sticks would end his caper.
On May 3, 2025, at approximately 5:02 AM, Cedar Falls police officers were dispatched to the Dupaco Community Credit Union at 126 Brandilynn Blvd for an alarm. The alarm indicated an ‘ATM tilt Sensor’. Officers arrived on scene and found the ATM had been damaged. Approximately 8 minutes later, the alarm was activated at the Veridian Credit Union at 1050 Brandilynn Blvd.
Police conducted further investigation, learning that a witness observed a subject operating a Telelift, and loading an ATM machine into the back of a pickup near a Menards store on Brandilynn Blvd. A vehicle description was given, and the vehicle was located by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office traveling East on Interstate 380.
A traffic stop was initiated, and the suspect vehicle attempted to elude officers at a high rate a speed. The pursuit went through different parts of Black Hawk County and stop sticks were deployed. The vehicle hit the stop sticks and eventually stopped on Highway 218 just north of Lone Tree Road. The driver was taken into custody without incident.
Police say the suspect vehicle had been reported stolen the previous day in Waterloo. The Telelift used was taken from a construction site on Brandilynn Blvd.
Police arrested 55-year-old John Fitzgerald Bennet (pictured at top) on the following charges:
– Two counts of 1st Degree Theft
– Two Counts of 1st Degree Criminal Mischief
– Theft 2nd Degree (Theft of Motor Vehicle)
– Felony Eluding
– Numerous traffic violations
Bennett remains jailed at this time, awaiting a court appearance.
Cedar Falls Public Safety personnel were assisted by the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, the Black Hawk County Consolidated Dispatch Center and Rasmussen Towing.