TEMPLE, Texas — A man wearing a clown mask broke into a Temple hemp dispensary early Sunday morning stealing close to $300 worth of product, according to the Temple Police Department.
Surveillance video (below) from inside the Redbird Hemp Dispensary on South 25th Street shows the suspect wearing a clown mask come in through a broken window. He then proceeds to look through the different products and at one point lifts the clown mask, showing his face to the camera.
The store owners tell 6 News they feel violated and hope Central Texans can help identify the hemp burglar.
"Very big frustration considering we're locals here and we just want to serve the people and be here for you guys," said Griffin McGaughey, co-owner of the dispensary. "It's really violating, honestly, with someone being in your space. That's the best way to put it like it's sickening, really is."
"This is our only job, this is our income, this is our life savings," said Kristi McGaughey, who owns the shop with her husband. "We started this business back in 2019."
The video shows the suspect try to use what looks like some type of screwdriver to smash through a glass display case, but he was unsuccessful.
The suspect, with his mask still raised, then takes products from the store shelves before eventually leaving. Temple Police said he was in the store for around two minutes.
The McGaugheys don't believe the burglar was a customer of theirs based off his behavior and actions in the surveillance footage.
"He did not look like he knew what he was looking for," Kristi McGaughey explained. "He walked out with mints, he left with room spray, he left with a few gummies."
"Most of the stuffed missed his bag like he didn't even make it into his bag, it was on the floor when we came in," Griffin McGaughey said. "He didn't seem very educated on what he was coming in for. He didn't seem like he had it planned very well. Didn't seem very smart."
They believe the alarm system scared him from the scene before he could cause anymore damage and take more product.
Since the break in Sunday, the couple has enhanced their security measures on property, including adding a reinforcement gate.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has any other information that could help investigators can call Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-8477.