Masked men rob a Houston hotel for fifth time in a week

A group of masked thieves has lifted ATMs from five Houston hotels in a week, including a heist during which one robber showed a machete to Marriott Hotel employees.

Houston Police said the group has so far targeted ATMs that are not secured to floors or walls, allowing them to finish their heists in under three minutes. Witnesses have said the group has ranged between four and eight men. The series of thefts began December 9 at a hotel near Bush Intercontinental Airport on the city's far north side. Two nights later a hotel miles away on the southwest side was hit. The latest robbery came around 1 a.m. Thursday when police said a group of men stormed the Marriott Hotel on JFK Boulevard. Around midnight Wednesday, about five to eight masked men raided a Courtyard by Marriott in west Houston, on Westheimer in the West Chase area.

Early Tuesday morning, a group of seven to ten men hit up a Galleria-area Marriott and sped away with the unbolted ATM in two Dodge Magnums and a Chevy Impala. A Double Tree Hotel on the Southwest Freeway was also robbed late last week.