Man steals backhoe, goes on rampage in Quebec town, police say

A 50-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly stole a backhoe from a construction site and drove it into a home in a small town just north of Laval, police say.

Thérèse-De Blainville regional police allege the man drove the machine to a residential building in Sainte-Thérèse, Que., where he then damaged an entryway to a basement apartment, part of a fence and some nearby vehicles.

He also knocked down an electrical wire, police say, which led to a small fire. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames, but two officers were injured by debris from the fire. 

The two officers have since been treated and are recovering, police say, and nobody else was injured in the incident.

The damaged multi-unit apartment building is located on St-Joseph Street — a street with a mix of commercial and residential.

The backhoe was stolen from a construction site at the corner of Dubois and Turgeon streets, meaning the suspect drove the vehicle about 300 metres.

A witness called 911 at 8:56 p.m. to report the man was erratically driving a backhoe toward the town's centre, police say.

The suspect refused to stop manoeuvring the machine even when police arrived. Police then arrested the man after pulling him from the backhoe while it was still moving.

The suspect is expected to appear in a Saint-Jérôme courthouse today to face charges such as theft, mischief and impaired driving.

Police are continuing to investigate the incident, attempting to piece together the circumstances leading up to the event. Overnight, police met with witnesses and examined evidence left at the scene.