Thieves went on a destructive crime spree early yesterday morning spanning from Bay Roberts to Avondale. At one point a backhoe was used to smash into a gas station in South River to remove the ATM inside.

Bay Roberts RCMP were first called to the Ultramar in South River around 3 a.m. Wednesday after a passerby noticed extensive damage to the building.

A backhoe was used to smash through the front of the building, causing significant damage, and the ATM was removed from the scene.

Surveillance cameras show the incident occurred around 1:45 involving two suspects with covered faces in a pickup truck. Drag marks on the ground led officers to a nearby gravel pit, where police found an abandoned provincial government backhoe.

The backhoe and the pickup were both stolen from the Highway Depot in Bay Roberts sometime earlier.

Holyrood RCMP later discovered a burnt-out pickup truck around 3:15 that same morning after a driver reported a large fire in a wooded area between Brigus Junction and the Avondale Access.

Meanwhile, later that morning officers received a report of damage caused by a break-in at the Eastbound International Speedway and Concert Park in Avondale. The gate was breached and a number of buildings on the property were damaged by a vehicle. An ambulance on site was entered and a race car on the property was heavily damaged. Police found an ATM, believed to be the same one removed from South River. It’s believed an excavator at the site was used to get to the money inside.

Anyone with video surveillance or dash cam footage is asked to contact Bay Roberts or Holyrood RCMP.