HOUSTON – A man who used an industrial gas-powered saw during a burglary is suspected to be a part of a larger crew who targeted the same business four years earlier.
The Houston Police Department is investigating the most recent incident that happened at Houston Freightliner, a trucking dealership and parts supplier at 9550 North Loop East Freeway.
The March 31 break-in was caught on several surveillance videos at the business.
"What made this case very unusual is the suspect knew exactly where he was going," Houston Police Department Detective Greg Shelton, said.
After smashing a window, the would-be thief quickly navigated to the area of the business that contained the safe.
The man was seen carrying a large gas-powered circular saw with him to cut through the metal door, which was protecting the room with the safe.
One video shows the man ran into an unforeseen problem.
"That saw was too big because the door is next to a wall and they didn't have room to actually run the saw through," Roger Poser, general counsel for Houston Freightliner, said.
With the alarm blaring outside, the man gave up and got into a 2005 or 2006 gray Infiniti G35 sedan, piloted by a getaway driver.
The failed burglary is similar to another burglary at the business in August 2015.
In that crime, four men, one of whom resembles the crook in the latest case, used a sledgehammer to batter the door. The assailants got through the door and retrieved the heavy safe, but were unable to get into their vehicle, abandoning the safe in the parking lot of the business.
In both burglary attempts, the men appeared to very familiar with the layout of the business.
"It may have been somebody who has been here or is somehow related to an employee," Poser said.
Anyone with any information about the car or the most recent burglary is asked to call Crime Stoppers 713-222-8477.