Suspects prevent their own heist destroying business with truck

HARRIS COUNTY, TX (KTRK) -- A minute-long smash and grab crime spree ended up costing a Northeast Harris County business owner thousands of dollars.

Surveillance cameras captured a maroon, four-door Dodge pickup truck barreling through A-1 Champion Transmissions at 2:53 a.m. Thursday.

The truck first plowed through a gate surrounding the property before crashing through the glass doors of the business office.

Another camera inside the repair shop shows the truck rammed furniture and a door the back wall of the office.

"(I) can't believe it. I'm a good Christian, honest mechanic. I mean I've given work away before to people who couldn't afford it.

If they'd come here and ask, I'd probably give it to them, you know," shop owner Kenneth Gibbs said. His business on C.E. King Parkway has been his pride and joy for 16 years.

However, the five men who broke in last week spent only a minute inside checking out the damage they causd, and the destruction actually prevented them from getting inside the repair shop so they couldn't steal any tools.

"At first when they came in they opened the window but they couldn't get out there because I got transmissions all stacked up there," Gibbs said, while pointing to the other side of the window.

The front office was left in shambles with all the furniture and equipment inside busted and crumbling walls. It cost $9,000 to fix and the bill is still rising.

"It's been hard. Thank God for credit cards."

He's been working around the clock to fix everything, which still smells like fresh paint. Gibbs won't even leave at night because he's been sleeping here ever since.

"Just to make sure no one wants to come back and secure my property," he said.

Gibbs plans to add additional security measures to protect his business.

He's offering a $5,000 reward for the capture and prosecution of the five men seen in the video.