What constitutes the theft of a coin-operated machine?

The theft of a coin-operated machine is identified primarily by the action of knowingly tampering with the machine with the intention to steal from it. This definition encompasses a range of illegal activities, such as manipulating the machinery to access cash or other valuables inside without legitimate permission.

In this scenario, the activity demonstrates both an understanding of the machine's operations and a direct intent to commit theft. This goes beyond merely attempting to use the machine improperly; it involves an act designed to exploit it for personal gain unlawfully.

Other options describe actions related to the machine but lack the core components of theft as defined by intent and action toward unlawfully taking property. For instance, attempting to repair with no intent to pay doesn't involve theft if there is no intention to deprive the owner of the machine's resources. Breaking the machine to retrieve items suggests a more destructive intent without specifying that there’s an intention to benefit from it, and using a fake coin may not necessarily equate to tampering or stealing; it might just imply fraud without the actual appropriation of the machine's contents. Thus, the specific focus on knowingly tampering and stealing embodies the definition of theft in this context.