Chicago police walked around the property looking for clues and evidence Wednesday morning. Police say the two suspects tied up the employees and then tried to steal a money machine.
The suspects are described as armed. They had been wearing masks and may have been driving a dark colored Jeep Cherokee.
Customers say the ATM is located inside the office building. They say employees are usually in a secured, glassed area.
Once scrappers drop off metal, they say the employees pay them with a debit card. They then use that debit card in the ATM to collect their money.
"They are all behind glass, and the money is outside in a big machine, like an ATM machine, a big machine, we use a card," said James H., customer.
It's unclear where the employees were located during the robbery attempt. But the ATM was so heavy, so large, that the robbers were unable to steal it. And the employees were able to free themselves.
There are several security cameras located on the property, and police will likely comb through the video.
"It's horrible because you come in there and you don't know if you're walking into that situation. That's the scary party, especially in broad daylight," said Nathan Frank, customer.
Sims Metal Management was closed for the rest of the day and over the New Year holiday but will reopen next week.
