Thieves ram Detroit business with pickup trucks, steal ATM

DETROIT (WJBK) - Three destructive thieves smashed their way through a Detroit business that had only been open a few months and made off with thousands.

Shorty opened the deli and tobacco shop named after himself just a few months ago. On Friday, Shorty came to work Shorty Deli & Tobacco when he found that he's now short on cash and business after thieves left a gaping hole in the wall.

"We spent a lot of money in it. We tried to fix it the right way for the neighborhood," he said. "But I guess in southwest Detroit no one deserves nothing!"

Shorty set up shop at the corner of McGraw and Lumly to make a difference.  Today he's cleaning up the mess and thinking about the three responsible for destroying his livelihood.

"That's not fair. (Look at that) yeah that's not fair," he said. "Animals. That's what I describe them! Animals."

Shorty has them on video. The surveillance caught the violent break-in on camera Friday morning. Two trucks pulled up - one black, one white with a logo on the side. The white truck backed up and rammed the store repeatedly.

"It's made out of cinder block and bricks... that's why they had to do it twice to come in," Shorty said.

The masked men knew where they were headed.

"The ATM was right by that wall, that's why they were looking through the glass door to see exactly where it was exactly and they could just back up into it and just hit it," he said.

They knocked over the bolted ATM and the three lifted the heavy machine and hauled it out.

Shorty says the money and the ATM isn't what he's worried about.

"Whatever was in the ATM - I don't know what was in there $2,000 or $3,000 - but it's gonna cost me more just to fix the walls."

He said he will reopen his store soon and promises to face them in court. Anyone who recognizes the trucks in the video above is asked to call Detroit Police. Shorty says a reward is being offered.