Sheriff asks for tips after attempted ATM burglary in Dalton
Deputies want tips after an unknown person tried to pry into Midwest Bank’s Dalton ATM at 1:51 a.m. Friday, and the branch still lists regular hours.
An unknown person entered the vestibule at Midwest Bank’s Dalton branch about 1:51 a.m. Friday and tried to use tools to reach the ATM, triggering an appeal from the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office for tips and any surveillance footage that could identify who was involved. The attempt was not successful, and investigators have not said whether any cash was taken or whether the person got inside the machine itself.
The bank is at 108 West Main Street in Dalton, where Midwest Bank lists an ATM and regular weekday hours. Its Dalton lobby hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., drive-up hours run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and walk-up hours are posted from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For a town the size of Dalton, a case like this carries outsized attention. The city has 223 residents and covers about 0.2 square miles, so activity around a local bank can quickly become the focus of neighbors, customers and nearby businesses, especially when it happens before dawn and leaves few immediate clues behind.
Sheriff’s investigators are looking for anyone who saw unusual activity near the bank, has video from the area or can help trace how the person entered and left the building. The request matters because late-night ATM cases often depend on small details, from a vehicle seen nearby to a camera angle that catches a face or clothing the scene itself may not preserve for long.
The case also fits a wider pattern seen in ATM burglaries at rural banks and credit unions, where limited overnight staffing leaves alarms, cameras and quick community reporting as the main defenses. The FBI says some ATM burglary groups use surveillance and security-testing tactics before a break-in, sometimes watching target locations in advance and even triggering security systems to judge response times.
Otter Tail County also keeps a daily activity report page on its website, placing the Dalton case among the county’s ongoing calls for service as deputies continue to work through the lead.
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