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Multiple agencies looking for Baton Rouge man accused of breaking into ATMs with saw
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LAPLACE - Deputies across four parishes are searching for a man accused of using a heavy-duty saw to cut into ATMs across southeast Louisiana.
Sheriff's deputies in East Baton Rouge, St. John, Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes are searching for 42-year-old Alfred Cobb, or "The Saw Bandit." On Monday, St. John's Sheriff's Office shared a video of a man sawing into a LaPlace ATM on Oct. 12. Deputies said his attempts to get into the cash drawer were unsuccessful, but the machine was damaged.
According to an arrest warrant filed in East Baton Rouge Parish on Friday, deputies believe Cobb has tried the same tactic at multiple ATMs in Baton Rouge. On Aug. 24, deputies were sent to the Family Dollar on Burbank Drive. Surveillance video showed people inside the store after hours, trying to break into the ATM. They left, came back with a saw, removed the base and hauled the entire machine out of the store - getting away with more than $3,000. Three days later, a Family Dollar on O'Neal Lane was burglarized. Deputies said that the power had been turned off to the building when the burglary happened, so there were no security cameras active, but store employees came in to find the ATM pried open.
On Sept. 8, deputies tried to make a traffic stop on a stolen van connected to the burglary investigation. The van led EBRSO on a chase that ended on Highland Road. Deputies said a concrete saw was found in the vehicle. One person in the car was detained and arrested. Their identity was not listed.
Nearly a month later, a Family Dollar on Old Hammond Highway was broken into overnight and the ATM had large saw marks and dust surrounding it. Loose bills were scattered around the area. When looking at security footage, deputies saw two people get out of a black Kia Soul and break into the store.
East Baton Rouge deputies said the car was stolen from a Florida Boulevard dealership and left the area headed for St. John Parish. On Oct. 8, a Shopper's Value was broken into. Nothing was taken but the doors were smashed. On Oct. 13, the Express OMV on Perkins Road — which has a visible ATM in the front — had its windows busted. In both cases, deputies said loud alarms went off and the two burglars left.
On Oct. 16, Tangipahoa Parish deputies made contact with EBRSO about two similar cases they had concerning Family Dollar ATMs. The following day, St. John deputies said a credit union ATM was hit and connected to the vehicles previously caught on camera. Less than a week later, Livingston Parish deputies said a Family Dollar ATM was cut open with a saw.
Livingston deputies found Danielle Lucas, Cobb's cousin, who had multiple saw blades and admitted to driving Cobb to the OMV burglary and multiple dollar store hits.
Documents show that Cobb had been convicted of attempted armed robbery and sentenced to 20 years in prison. A judge suspended all but five of those and Cobb had to serve three years of probation, which began at the end of 2022 and is in effect until the end of 2025.
Anyone with information about Cobb's whereabouts can call (225) 398-5000.
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