Houston police searching for burglar who broke into day care and drove off with van

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Surveillance video captured a thief stealing a van from an Uptown day care Monday night. His crimes weren't discovered until the next day, but it's the mistakes the suspect made that left the business owner hoping Houston police will catch him.

"It's a shock. I'm still reeling from a shock like this, but what can you do? I have a business to run," said Anuli Ezuman, who operates Twinkle Wonders School/Childcare Center on Richmond Avenue.

Despite the shock and violation that came with being robbed, Ezuman's daycare was back open and busy just hours after she learned about the break-in. In the video, the suspect was seen inside the building.

"I'm glad it did catch him. We have a full face of this individual. He looked up real quick before he realized he was on video, then he ducked real quick. But, we already caught him," Ezuman said.

After the thief showed his face, he rummaged through the office pulling out drawers. He found a face mask to put on, but it was already too late. Then, in another corner of the room, he finally found what he was after - a bag with keys to other vehicles.

With the keys in hand, the thief drove off in a black van. Because of this, Ezuman said she had to call a locksmith to change all of the locks on the vans and the doors.

"We're trying to reinforce security in the building to make sure we stay safe going forward. That's the most we can do," Ezuman said.

However, Houston police are doing a lot more. The thief walked in with a crowbar and left it behind on a desk. Now, it's being dusted for prints. Detectives also have clear images of the man's build and his face. Ezuman said she's grateful to have insurance to replace what was stolen.