FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A brazen break-in at a Fresno shoe store was all for nothing after the owner says he was already a step ahead of the people who tried to rob his business.

Locally-owned DripOnDrip was boarded up on Monday after what was described as a “shocking” break-in earlier in the morning.

“Seeing the building that you’re working out of almost every day…just be damaged. It’s shocking,” said owner Roman Gonzales.

Security camera footage shows two sedans driving up to the front of the store just after 3 a.m. One of those cars rammed through the front of the store.

The footage shows several people getting out of both cars and running inside. It then shows them looking around confused and leaving the store around 30 seconds later.

“If they would have looked through the window, they would have saved themselves some time and energy from even trying to break in,” said Gonzales. “They would have noticed that there is nothing here on the floor for them to take.”

Gonzales was a step ahead of the criminals. Thieves broke into his former location at River Park last year and took most of his inventory. Following that experience, he clears the floor every night and leaves the cash register open next to the window to show there is nothing inside.

The only thing he leaves out at night is a wall of right-foot shoes.

“There’s no value once you take this shoe. I mean, you can’t just buy a left-foot shoe online either. So you’re not going to be able to use that item or even resell it. It’s just pointless,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales says the thieves did take some loose backpacks and two right-foot shoes. He says he’s thankful his plan worked and he will open as normal on Tuesday.

“Let’s hope they get caught and learn from this situation,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales says River Park security responded to the scene as soon as the alarm went off; they had the wall boarded up before Gonzales arrived at 6 a.m. He credits their quick response and says he feels safe to continue business there.

A River Park spokesperson told Yourcentralvalley.com they met to discuss future safety measures on Monday and will increase their overnight security staff.

Gonzales says they will also consider installing traffic safety poles in front of his store to prevent cars from driving onto the sidewalk.