Bungling pair of armed robbers are left empty-handed after one fled with victim’s backpack and the other tried to steal his car…not realizing keys to the SUV were inside the bag

• Surveillance footage captures a dramatic failure of a car jacking in Houston
• One of two thieves ran off with the key to the car his associate was trying to steal
• They got away in a blue Chevrolet Camaro but left empty-handed

Houston police have released footage of an attempted carjacking that went catastrophically wrong after one bungling thief accidentally ran off with the car key.

The video, released on Friday, captured the moment one of the two robbers ran off on foot with a backpack containing the key to the Jeep they were trying to steal, preventing the other from starting the car.

As the owner of the Jeep chased the thief that took his backpack, the other who was trying to start the car gave up and fired his pistol. On hearing gunfire, the thief with the backpack dropped it, enabling the owner to recover the bag and its contents.

The two crooks were picked up in a blue Chevrolet Camaro driven by a third suspect, but all three left empty handed, according to the Houston Police Department.

Houston Police Department released surveillance footage of a carjacking that goes wrong after one of the two thieves runs off with the car keys

The keys to the Jeep the two were trying to steal were in a backpack (pictured) which one ran off with, but eventually dropped, allowing the victim to recover all of his items

The attempted carjacking happened on a January afternoon after the victim believes he was followed to his home in the Newcastle neighborhood of Houston. He said that they had seen and followed him from a nearby gas station.

The homeowner described the experience to Fox 26 Houston, but said he wanted to remain unidentified.  

‘Came up on me with a loaded 9mm gun with an extended clip, at least 40 bullets or so. They wanted the car,’ he said. ‘Shouted give me your keys, kept my hands up, tried to stay as calm as possible.’ 

Video shows the man was putting something into a wheeled outdoor trash can beside his garage when the armed assailant tapped him on the shoulder and points the pistol at him with just one hand.

‘The gun was in my face the whole time,’ he said.

He said that when asked where the keys were, he truthfully told them that they were in a bag in the passenger seat of the car.

The gunman and his co-conspirator then entered the garage. The one with the gun approached the driver’s side while engaging in an exchange with the owner. 

Meanwhile, the other approaches from the passenger side and grabs the backpack on the seat before running off with it in his hands.

The panicked homeowner then appears conflicted between chasing after the thief who took his backpack and keeping his eyes on the armed man who was in his car, but eventually decides to give chase.

Houston police are appealing for information regarding the two thieves, both of whom were wearing tracksuits and the lower halves of their faces concealed. A third suspect was driving a blue Chevrolet Camaro which they used to flee

The homeowner chased the man who stole his backpack. The other thief fired a shot at the two, causing the man with the bag to drop it

Both the thieves ran away on foot before eventually catching up with a blue Camaro which let them into the car and drove off. The thief who had the backpack can be seen running on the grass on the sidewalk this image

Once the gunman realized he was unable to start the car he abandoned the project and ran off in the same direction as the other two. As he did he fired gun, startling the thief with the backpack, who then dropped in on the ground as he continued to run off.

‘The complainant started to run after the suspect that had his backpack and heard gunshots coming from the first suspect, who was running behind him. The suspect that had the backpack also heard the gunshots, causing him to drop the backpack,’ the police said in a statement. 

‘The kid got out of my car who had the gun, and he took a shot at me and his friend, buddy, accomplice, whatever you want to call him,’ the homeowner said.

‘I continued to chase him up to where I saw him get in the car, out on Holcombe, right in front of Herman Urgent Care,’ he added. 

The two thieved then ran to catch up with a blue Chevrolet Camaro which drove past the house did not come to a total stop. Eventually the two reach the car and make off. 

‘Usually when they say give me your keys, somebody gives it to them right away, and they’re gone. It didn’t happen that way, so they were bamboozled,’ he said.

‘They didn’t know what to do. Luckily, it was a bunch of errors, or I probably wouldn’t be talking to you today.’ 

Houston Police Department said it is now appealing to members of the public for information regarding the attempted robbery and released descriptions who both had the bottom halves of their faces concealed.

It said information leading to charges could earn up to $5,000 in cash.

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