Timmins police are investigating a break-in that took place during the early morning hours on Saturday at Archie Dillon Sportsplex where thieves unsuccessfully broke into an ATV leaving tens of thousands of dollars in damage.
Officials said disguised suspects gained entry through a back door by force and proceeded to vandalize two vending machines and an ATM beyond repair.
"The subjects proceeded to damage two vending machines and an ATM, never successfully making entry into those machines. They then ventured forth into the concession area and caused some damage to a cash register there and then some office space was compromised and they damaged some property there and made off with other electronic items," Timmins police spokesperson Marc Depatie told CTV News in an interview.
He said arena staff members came upon the perpetrators, who ran away on foot with a hockey bag full of stolen property from the facility.
It was easy to find two of the three suspects, Depatie said, as their footsteps left in the fresh snow led officers to a nearby residence.
"This is not exactly a criminal mastermind at work. It isn’t as though they studied the blueprints of the building and broke in," he said.
"Our message is a strong one. This type of criminal activity just never pays off."
Two 23-year-olds, a local man and woman, were arrested with some of the stolen property and charged in the case.
Police are actively looking for the third suspect, a 24-year-old man.
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