In a brazen and highly destructive criminal act, a local financial institution has been targeted in what is being described as an Ajax Excavator Bank Heist. During the early morning hours of Monday, May 4, 2026, suspects utilized a piece of heavy construction equipment to tear through the exterior of a bank in North Ajax. The Durham Regional Police Service responded to the scene to find extensive structural damage and a discarded machine, marking one of the most aggressive “smash-and-grab” style thefts in the region’s recent history.
The incident took place at the TD Bank branch located at 83 Williamson Drive, near the intersection of Salem Road and Rossland Road West. Police received a frantic call regarding a break-in at approximately 4:00 a.m. and arrived shortly thereafter. Upon reaching the scene, officers discovered a parked and unoccupied construction excavator sitting adjacent to a gaping hole in the building’s façade. The heavy machinery, which is believed to have been stolen from a nearby construction site, was used as a battering ram to penetrate the reinforced walls of the bank.
Preliminary findings from the Ajax Excavator Bank Heist investigation indicate that the primary objective of the suspects was the bank’s automated teller machine (ATM). Law enforcement officials have confirmed that an ATM was successfully extracted from the premises near the heavily damaged area. Despite the massive noise and destruction caused by the machinery, all suspects managed to flee the area before the first cruisers arrived on the scene. It is currently unclear how many individuals were involved or what type of getaway vehicle was used to transport the heavy ATM.
The sheer scale of the Ajax Excavator Bank Heist has left the local community in shock. The Williamson Drive area is a busy commercial and residential hub, and the use of an industrial excavator in such a populated area speaks to a high level of planning and audacity. Structural engineers are expected to assess the building to ensure it remains safe for staff and investigators, as the damage to the exterior wall was significant.
Durham Regional Police are now urgently seeking the public’s assistance to track down those responsible for the Ajax Excavator Bank Heist. Detectives are specifically requesting that any residents or business owners in the vicinity of Williamson Drive and Salem Road review their security camera footage from the window of 3:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. on May 4. They are also interested in hearing from any motorists who may have been driving in the area with active dash cams, as the movement of an excavator along local roads would have been a highly visible and unusual sight.
Anyone with information regarding the Ajax Excavator Bank Heist is asked to contact the Durham Regional Police directly. For those who wish to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online. Information that leads to an arrest could be eligible for a cash reward. As the investigation continues, the TD Bank branch remains closed to the public while repairs are underway and evidence is processed.
