Theft of lockbox containing $18,000 in Frankford

A thief made off with $18,000 in cash Thursday afternoon after taking a lockbox for an ATM from a truck parked outside a deli in Frankford, police said.

Priti Patel, who owns Family Deli at 1500 Church St., said the ATM worker was replenishing the cash supply in the store's machine about 1:45 p.m. when someone took the lockbox and an iPhone from his truck. The worker had been inside the store for less than 10 minutes, Patel said.

Patel said the worker told him that he'd left his truck unlocked. Neither Patel nor the worker saw the theft, and her store does not have outdoor cameras.

Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum of Northeast Detectives said they were investigating but admitted they had "little to go on." - Chris Palmer