HOUSTON – An urgent search is underway for a violent group of crooks who terrorized a local family. They say they awoke to masked men with guns demanding everything they had.
The nightmare unfolded at a home on Karen and East Mitchell in northeast Harris County.
Those suspects kicked in the front door of the home early Tuesday morning. The homeowner told Local 2 it felt like they were in there forever, tearing up the home and threatening their lives.
Surveillance video shows masked and armed men approaching the home and kicking down the door. Once inside, the three men terrorized the family of five.
Roberto Quintero said the men first tied him up, then his wife. He says his kids were asleep and the men told him if he gave them money, they wouldn't kill the children.
With Quintero's wrists tied up, the men made him go room to room. His children -- ages 7, 5, and 2 were woken up -- and forced to lay on the ground.
One man, armed with a bat, broke the family dog's chain. The pit bull, Shakira, has not been seen since the attack.
After ransacking the house, video shows them leaving, getting away with thousands of dollars in cash, a computer and beer.
Quintero says they also forced him to sign over the title to his beige 2007 Chevy Avalanche. He believes the family may have been targeted because they own several restaurants.
A neighbor agreed.
"Those people you know they own about three restaurants maybe they thought they got money in the house," said neighbor Ramiro Guzman.
His surveillance system also showed the three men driving away in two vehicles -- one of them, his very own.
The homeowner says the incident left his children so afraid, they went to stay at an uncle's house.
This is the third crime scene for this area. Recently two people were murdered.
"I've lived here 30 years. We're fixin' to move. Had enough of this," said neighbor Bill Hillin.
The video from the home's surveillance system has been shared with investigators n hopes of finding those three men.