Acworth police are investigating a Wednesday morning smash-and-grab at a gas station that involved a stolen U-Haul and what appeared to be a very determined thief.

Investigators said a burglar drove the stolen rental van through the front doors of a Texaco Food Mart at 4739 Main Street before dawn Wednesday when previous attempts to yank an ATM loose were unsuccessful.

According to investigators, surveillance footage at the Texaco showed someone wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and face mask force their way into the gas station around 4:30 a.m. The person tried to remove the ATM, but it was bolted to the floor, Acworth police said in a news release.

After several failed attempts, the suspect backed a white Ford Transit U-Haul van into the food mart, knocking the cash machine loose. Police said the thief finished the brazen burglary by loading the ATM into the van and peeling off.

Officers later found the van abandoned outside a store along Canton Road. They confirmed it had been reported stolen, according to the release.

Officers are working to identify and arrest a suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call Acworth police at 770-974-1232.

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Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC