UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. — The University City Police Department is looking for four men who broke into Star Buds dispensary early Friday morning.
"This is a secure facility,” Star Buds owner Chris Chesley said. “It's a safe facility. They aren't going to get product from us or any other dispensary."
Just after 2 a.m., a stolen white Kia Forte with no license plate pulled into the lot, according to police. One of the men threw a rock through the front door of the building.
Once in the lobby, the four burglars used the rock, fists and feet to try and destroy a door and window leading to the sales floor. They were unsuccessful.
"It's the same security measures that we use at our Festus location,” the owner said. “They never made it past the lobby."
Minutes later, University City police pulled up and ran off the crooks chasing them eastbound on Olive Boulevard.
Although the crooks left empty-handed, a door was smashed and plenty of customers were turned away until the state gave the OK for Star Buds dispensary to reopen.
"It's upsetting, but we knew coming into this business that things were going to happen eventually,” Chesley said. “We are a little upset it's already happened twice, once here, once at another location. But we are very happy they have to be realizing that they aren't going to get product from us."
Thursday night, 5 On Your Side spoke with Chesley about the rise in prices for recreational marijuana in Missouri. Click here to read that story.