A Brighton vape shop owner is reeling after a brazen break-in earlier this week that left him with a shattered storefront and an emptied display case, as thieves made off with around $1,000 worth of merchandise, Jonathan Lau, owner of The Vape Shop, experienced the swift robbery when two individuals, rocks in hand, shattered his glass door and pillaged the store in a manner of minutes, according to a report from WHDH.

The store's surveillance video captured the masked thieves as they targeted display cases and fled with goods, all occurring promptly before 2 a.m.; Boston Police were summoned to the scene hours later, around 6 a.m., yet Lau's alarm system, surprisingly, failed to alert authorities immediately, "The alarm system did not set off," Lau told WHDH, "It was not triggered until police arrived." This crime contributes to a troubling pattern of burglaries afflicting vape and smoke shops in the Greater Boston area.

While no arrests have currently been made, the shop owner's sense of security has been deeply impacted, "It feels very invasive to have someone break into your place of business where, it’s a small business so I’m, I’m here to provide for my kids and family," Lau lamented in a statement obtained by WHDH. Lau shared the distressing video footage as a cautionary tale for fellow business owners.

Reflecting on a community he has known for 40 years, Lau expressed his concerns to CBS News Boston, stating, "It doesn't feel safe having something like this happen to a family business. I'm really just in business to support my family," and emphasizing the importance of vigilance among his peers, "To all other small business owners and retailers, be more vigilant," he said, "Just make sure you stay safe."