VIDEO: Burglars use U-Haul to smash into Houston smoke shop, steal ATM and $7,500 in merchandise

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's a break-in so extreme it left a north Houston business owner speechless, and it was all caught on camera.

Surveillance video shows a man repeatedly backing a U-Haul into the Green Cross smoke shop on the North Freeway near Gulf Bank around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"It looked like someone bombed the place," the shop's owner, who only wanted to be identified as Lou, said.

Lou said the shop had only been open since June 6 and that none of his merchandise was insured.

After smashing through the shop's front-facing wall, video shows the U-Haul driver running into the business. He's soon joined by five other men who appear to have been waiting in a nearby parking lot.

A short time later, they load the shop's ATM into the U-Haul and flee.

Lou said the U-Haul and ATM were later found abandoned at Greenspoint Mall.

"They couldn't even open the ATM, so that was a failed mission," he said.

But only 15 minutes after the break-in, video shows two more men show up. Lou said they did more than inspect the damage.

"If the people were just nice people, you know what I mean, they could have called for help instead of trying to loot it," Lou said.

Lou said they stole about $7,500 worth of merchandise.

While his landlord works on repairs, Lou said he'll continue to do business through a walk-up window.

"I just got to work it the best I can, I really - There's not too much I can do at this point. There's a hole in the wall," Lou said.

Houston police confirm they're investigating the case but had no updates to share Wednesday.

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