Cedar Grove Cops Seek Petroleum Jelly-Wielding Man For Alleged ATM Tampering

CEDAR GROVE, NJ — Cedar Grove police are seeking a petroleum jelly-wielding suspect who allegedly tampered with a local Bank of America ATM on Monday.

According to the Cedar Grove Police Department, while opening the bank on Monday, an employee discovered that someone had smeared a “Vaseline-type substance” over the security camera on the lobby ATM.

Cedar Grove officers contacted bank security personnel, who confirmed that security video captured a male actor entering the lobby at 4:46 p.m. on Feb. 12.

According to police, the man allegedly applied petroleum jelly over the camera lens to obscure the video recording, then - with his actions obscured - accessed the ATM to make cash withdrawals.

The ATM was inspected and no skimming device was found, police said.

“Investigators believe that the male actor was using cloned debit cards to remove cash and that the actual skimming took place at a different location,” Cedar Grove police stated Tuesday.

The incident remains under investigation, authorities said.

Photos: Cedar Grove Police Department