Thieves smash into rural Alberta bank with stolen front-end loader
A bank in rural Alberta is caved in after thieves crashed into the storefront Sunday morning.
Around 3 a.m., the local ATB branch in Warburg, Alta., was raided by three suspects.
RCMP says the group first stole a large pickup truck and a front-end loader from the Warburg Village Yard. They then set their sights on the bank, ramming the side of the building and getting away with a small amount of cash.
"My first thought was a tornado had come through Warburg," said Gord Enders, branch owner. "(They) basically just pushed in the front of the building."
Janette Barager works at her small business across the street.
"I was just devastated to see that," Barager said, sharing how other businesses in the community have been victims of robberies.
"How many times do we have to go through this," she added. "I'm very worried because the economy is really bad right now, and this is not only going to be bad for my store but the whole community of Warburg."
By Monday afternoon, engineers were on-site inspecting the ceiling and walls to determine the extent of the damage.
"We're committed to Warburg," Enders said. "We will be back open ASAP."
For now, his five employees have been relocated to the Calmar branch as a new building could take several months.
Mounties released surveillance images of three of the suspects in the hopes someone could help identify them. Officers say the stolen pick-up truck they used is a black 2007 Ford F350 with Alberta licence plate VBK19.
One suspect is described as a heavy-set male that is about 6 feet tall, has thick shoulders, and wore light brown style coveralls, a black sweater, and a dark hat.
The second suspect is described as a male with a skinny build, is about 6 feet tall, and wore dark-coloured boots, pants, and jacket with white lettering on the left and right side.
The third suspect was not observed outside the vehicle by surveillance cameras.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Breton RCMP at 780-696-3520 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-22-8477.
Warburg is approximately 100 kilometres south of Edmonton.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.