Thieves drive into restaurant in order to steal ATM

The smashed front windows of Barbies restaurant in Laval (CTV Montreal/JL Boulch)

Brazen thieves smashed through the front doors of a restaurant in Laval in order to make off with an ATM.

Around 12:20 Monday morning the burglar alarms sounded at Barbies Restaurant at 580 St. Martin Blvd. in Laval.

Police arrived minutes later to discover the damage to the front of the establishment, but no sign of the thieves.

Overnight police looked at surveillance video from the area and saw that a car-- which they later discovered -- drove into the front of the restaurant.

Several people then wrestled the stand-alone bank machine in the front lobby into the vehicle and left the scene.

Soon after the crime an abandoned stolen car was found about one kilometre away from the restaurant. Police said the car was stolen in September, and that the license plate on the car had been stolen from a second vehicle outside of Laval.

"The car was towed to our garage," said Laval police officer Evelyne Boudreau. "The car will be processed for fingerprints and other proofs, evidence, that may be found in the car."

Boudreau added that after looking at surveillance video they believe three people took part in the crime.

Investigators do not know how much money was in the ATM.