Thieves rip ATM from West Kelowna, B.C., bank wall via machinery in attempted theft

Police in West Kelowna, B.C., are investigating after unknown suspects tried to steal an automated teller machine from a bank by ripping it out of the wall at a bank.

RCMP say the theft happened at about 4:26 a.m. after someone called police about possible mischief outside a bank in the 5500 block of Clements Crescent.

Police say arriving officers found a scene that indicated the suspects had used a pickup truck and a front-loader to rip the ATM deposit box from the building's outside wall before fleeing.

Officers were able to recover the stolen deposit box a short time later when it was found abandoned along with the two vehicles not far from the bank.

The police statement did not say whether any money was taken.

Police say they are now processing both the box and the vehicles for evidence, while a dog search of the area failed to turn up any suspects.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious near the crime scene around the time of the theft to come forward.