Brazen bandits use truck in burglary

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A couple of brazen bandits took great pains getting into an Albuquerque business this weekend, their burglary tool of choice was a truck.

A steel metal gate was stretched to its limits after a couple of crooks left a costly mess behind for an Albuquerque business.

It was all caught on surveillance video around 3 o’clock Saturday morning, a truck pulls up to the summit electrical supply store, two men get out and appear to be casing the business.

They leave and 20 minutes later the same truck backs up to the front doors.

“[they] hooked the chain up to the lower accordion gate here and just pulled it away with their vehicle, bent it out a good six foot,” a store employee said.

The truck they use was not powerful enough to rip the metal security gate clean-off of its hinges, so the men have to improvise by smashing rocks through the glass door.

“They were able to squeeze through just in this small opening that you see here,” a store employee said.

They run inside, wearing masks and bandanas and bolt out with handfuls of tools, leaving behind a few empty racks.

“Once they were in they were only in there for a minute,” a store employee said. “The whole incident took about six minutes.”

The timing is the reason managers here say they were able to get away.

Security here is tight, from the metal security gates, 16 surveillance cameras that are monitored 24 hours and internal alarms.

“They’re timing must have been just right but they may not be so lucky next time,” a store employee said.

In the end, the crooks walked away with about $1,500 worth of stolen merchandise.

Managers say they will probably pawn it for less than half of its worth, meaning all of this work will maybe garner them a few $100.

“It was very gutsy on the person who did this,” a store employee said.

Managers credit their extreme security system, like the security gate, with preventing the crooks from walking away with some big expensive tools.

The suspects did major damage though, repair costs could be up to $10,000.

If you recognize them or the truck, you're asked to call police.