Video shows burglar ramming car into California store, causing nearly $70,000 in damages

NBC Universal, Inc.

A brazen overnight burglary has left a South Bay family business struggling. Police said a man smashed a stolen car into Vapors Smoke Shop in Campbell and it was all caught on camera.

The incident happened just before 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Surveillance video shows the car slamming into the gated front door in reverse before a man tried to crawl under the security gate.

He looked around for a while, until police showed up.

The store owner Jamie Giarratana watch it all unfold live on her phone.

โ€œShocked, angry. A little mad because I was actually watching it all live on ADT as I was on the phone with them and the police at the same time,โ€ she said.

She couldnโ€™t believe what she was seeing. 

Campbell police said officers arrived quickly, but because of the departmentโ€™s no-pursuit policy, they did not chase the suspects as they took off, and that upsets the Giarratanas.

โ€œThey literally just watched him drive out of the parking lot, and they were like, I don't know, 5-10 feet from him, from what I saw on the cameras,โ€ she said.

Special enforcement investigators say the getaway car came back stolen, and theyโ€™re following strong leads.

For the Giarratanas, it has already been a struggle the last few years to just stay afloat because of the pandemic, and now this.

They only had liability insurance on the property with damage and loss estimated at roughly $67,000.

โ€œYeah. I screamed. I cried Iโ€™ve had a lot of interesting emotions in the last couple days,โ€ said Giarratana.

The family says somehow they will rebuild.

Contact Us