A quiet Sunday morning turned into a scene of chaos for several residents in Ammon, N.B., after a stolen excavator tore through the neighbourhood, causing an estimated $300,000 in damages to properties and the excavator.
Kendall Killam, one of the homeowners on McLaughlin Drive, said she was shocked by what she saw outside her window.
“I got up and looked out my front window and thought maybe there was a car accident,” Killam said.
“But then we found out somebody had stolen an excavator… and they got stuck.”
“He kept going side to side on the streets. Nobody saw it happen. It was in the middle of the night. Usually, it’s extremely quiet here,” she added.
Killam’s property sustained some of the worst damage, with torn-up lawn and roadside ditches marking the trail left by the stolen machinery.
The excavator was taken from a nearby construction site owned by Rowen Construction, a family-owned business.
Company owner Saul Boudreau says two people allegedly broke onto the site during the night, moving a steamroller before making off with the excavator.
“They drove it through the woods and then took it down the road for about three kilometres, causing destruction,” Boudreau explained.
“Just morning mayhem for everyone.”
The RCMP has reportedly apprehended one individual already.
Boudreau said one of the suspects is known to the company.
On Sunday morning, Boudreau and a subcontractor went door-to-door speaking with affected homeowners about how to move forward.
Conversations between the contractor, affected residents, insurance, and RCMP are now ongoing.
Rowen Construction says theft has become a troubling trend.
This latest incident marks the third theft in as many weeks.
“The first theft, we had $7,000 to $8,000 in tools stolen. The second week, another $2,000 to $3,000 in light fixtures,” Boudreau said. “And now this.
“It’s starting to become very unsustainable.”
While insurance discussions continue, Boudreau emphasizes that his company is not liable for the stolen equipment, but the financial toll is significant.
Boudreau says many other builders and small business owners are also dealing with an uptick in theft, calling it an industry-wide issue that needs attention.
Global News has reached out to Caledonia RCMP for further comment but did not hear back in time for publishing.