This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Heavy Equipment Edition
This week in Bonnyville, Alberta, an individual used a stolen trackhoe to damage RCMP vehicles parked outside the local detachment and dropped boulders in front of the prisoner loading bay. Entertaining? Yes. Startling? No question. But more than anything, it reveals a growing trend: the increased use of construction equipment in crimes—either to “fight the man” or simply to generally cause destruction.
This week’s Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, we look at a few other recent incidents where someone jumped into a piece of heavy machinery, got themselves arrested, and ultimately wound up standing in front of judge.
The Bonnyville Incident – The Trackhoe Takedown
On May 3, 2025, 62-year-old David Merko allegedly made off with a stolen trackhoe, drove it through a fence, and loaded it up with boulders before heading to the Bonnyville RCMP detachment. He dumped the rocks in front of the prisoner bay—effectively blocking it—then turned the machine on five parked police cruisers, smashing them one by one.
He fled into a wooded area but didn’t make it far. RCMP arrested him hiding in the treeline and charged him with 13 offences, including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, mischief over $5,000, uttering threats, and theft. The investigation is ongoing, and we’ll be following it as it winds its way through the courts.
Napanee, Ontario – Excavator Meets Living Room
In April 2024, residents on Robert Street in Napanee woke up to the sound of destruction—not from a storm, but from a man who had allegedly stolen an excavator and driven it straight into a house. He didn’t just clip the corner or scratch the siding. The machine tore into the front wall, causing major structural damage and leaving drywall and bricks in a pile.
Police say the driver was intoxicated. He was arrested on scene and charged with impaired operation, mischief over $5,000, and driving offences. The homeowners were unharmed, though their front door became a backhoe-shaped hole.
Vermont, USA – Dad of the Year
This one takes us just south of the border but earns an honorary Canadian mention for sheer audacity. In 2022, Vermont state troopers attempted to arrest a man at his home when his father came to the rescue—not with a lawyer or a shouted warning, but with an excavator.
Video footage from police body cams shows the older man swinging the bucket of the machine toward officers, forcing them to duck and retreat while trying to avoid being flattened. It didn’t work. The officers weren’t injured, but both father and son were arrested—adding “reckless endangerment with an excavator” to what must have already been an unusual docket.
Winnipeg, Manitoba – Water Works Rampage
In September 2023, Aaron Michael Yarema allegedly broke into the Winnipeg Water Treatment Plant in the middle of the night. He didn’t just wander around. He found an excavator, fired it up, and got to work.
Officers responding to the alarm arrived to find the machine already tearing into the building and smashing vehicles in the lot. Yarema reportedly refused to stop when officers climbed aboard the equipment and ordered him to shut it down, only relenting on the second command. He then resisted arrest and was accused of assaulting police in the process.
The damage was significant—estimated between $4 and $5 million. Charges included break and enter, mischief, assaulting police, theft of a motor vehicle, and violating a release order. Somewhere along the line, someone likely asked him, “What exactly was your plan?”
So what does this all mean? It is concerning that so many humans look at tools and imagine them used for destruction. This is now a trend. Police and governments need to plan for this now which is unfortunate. It is inevitable that we will see more angry people turning to construction equipment to break the law.
We’ll see you next week for another edition of Weird and Wacky Wednesdays.
