WATCH: Armed robbers steal $30K from restaurant employees in southwest Houston

A group of robbers are seen on surveillance video as they steal nearly $30,000 from a restaurant Jan. 7, 2020. A group of robbers are seen on surveillance video as they steal nearly $30,000 from a restaurant Jan. 7, 2020. Photo: Houston Police Department Photo: Houston Police Department Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close WATCH: Armed robbers steal $30K from restaurant employees in southwest Houston 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

Newly released surveillance shows the tense moments when eight armed men robbed a southwest Houston restaurant as it closed earlier this month, ultimately making off with $30,000, police say

As many as 10 people were inside Bombay Express, at 10732 West Bellfort Avenue around 1:40 a.m. moments after the restaurant closed, according to Houston Police Department robbery detective Matthew Green. The patrons moved to the back of the restaurant, where there is a pool table in what police described as a game room.

Minutes after employees locked the front of the business, a group of eight masked men shot open the glass door and stormed into the dining room, Green said. That’s where they accosted the store’s owner and stole cash from the register.

They also stole cash from inside several gaming devices inside the restaurant, police later said, helping account for the large sum.

Hearing the commotion from the back of the restaurant, patrons locked themselves inside another room in the rear of the building. The robbers, searching for more victims, kicked down the door and held each of the patrons at gunpoint, even pistol-whipping some, Green said.

No one was able to give a detailed description of the attackers, only telling police they overheard some of them speaking Spanish.

Now, Houston police hope surveillance footage taken from in and around the restaurant will help the public identify the robbers. Authorities released the video Tuesday morning, two weeks after the nighttime heist.

Anyone with information is urged to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com