His bakery was just broken into for the third time. His window repair bill was more than what the thieves stole.
HOUSTON — The Bearded Baker, a Heights bakery in Houston, was burglarized early Thursday morning when three suspects forced their way through the front window around 2:30 a.m., making off with little more than a tub of peanut butter and a speaker. The incident is the third time the bakery has been targeted, and it comes at a particularly difficult time for owner Allan Hursig, who was diagnosed with colon cancer last month and began chemotherapy just one day before the break-in.
Hursig said his alarm woke him to the bad news in the middle of the night.
“I saw three guys rummaging around.”
Surveillance video shared by Hursig shows the trio kneeing, kicking and pushing through the front window, then prying back a sliding door and ransacking the space. The thieves appeared to be looking for cash, but the owner says the haul was hardly worth it. The cost of the broken window alone exceeded what was stolen.
“It’s heartbreaking, but of all the problems in the world, this is an easier one to deal with right now,” he said.
Still, Hursig says his bigger battle is the one he’s fighting against cancer. The diagnosis came last month, and doctors say it has already spread to his liver. Despite starting chemotherapy just the day before, Hursig said he remains upbeat about his prognosis.
“I’m hopeful, I’m optimistic. I caught it early and I’m young in comparison to most cancer patients.”
After the alarm went off Thursday night, family members rushed to the bakery to patch up the broken window and returned in the morning to help with the cleanup. The cookie cases were a little lighter than usual Thursday, since the morning cleaning cut into baking time, but customers kept coming through the door.
Hursig said that steady support is exactly what keeps him going.
“My family went down there almost immediately last night to check on things to get the window patched up and then they went this morning to help get things cleaned up.”
And when asked what he’s working toward through it all, his answer was simple.
“What I’m actually fighting toward is actually getting back to the things I love to make people happy.”
Hursig said the outpouring of well-wishes from the community has been tremendous, and he is grateful for the support. The Houston Police Department is investigating the burglary and is asking anyone with information to come forward.
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