CYPRESS, Texas – Frank Redix of Cypress is trying to restart his commercial lawn care business now that thieves have stolen most of his equipment twice in the past few months.
Surveillance video captured the three crooks on the second heist.
"Just trying to rebuild after the theft the second time around," Redix said. "It's just been real tough."
The video was recorded three weeks ago at the Alief Westwood Storage facility on the 9200 block of Boone Road near Beltway 8 and Bissonnet Street.
That's where Redix kept most of his tools.
"Because they couldn't get the truck started they disconnected the trailer from the truck and there's a guy on the back jumping up and down," Redix said, describing the video. "I think he's kind of counterbalancing the weight of the trailer while two other guys push the trailer out of there."
The storage facility's owner estimates the crooks spent up to 40 minutes on the robbery. They took their time and they weren't afraid to make noise.
"I had a pretty difficult lock to cut off," Redix said. "So they actually didn't cut the lock, they cut what the lock was attached to. And which they took a grinder to that too."
Redix, who has eight employees, says the robbers not only got away with nearly his entire operation -- they took food off the tables of his family and of his workers.
What would he like to say to the crooks if he had the chance?
"You're taking equipment and tools that several families use on a daily basis to make their livelihood, to feed their families, to buy their kids Christmas gifts," he said. "And, just go get a job themselves."
Redix said he lost about $40,000 in equipment and tools in both robberies combined.