Halloween break-in . . .

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Turns out one of our neighbors had their home broken into last night.

This is the 2nd break-in I've heard about in our area within the last 2 weeks . . . not good at all.

Last night, I went outside for a smoke around 10 or so . . . just in time to see a car trying to turn the corner at my house and heard a sickening crunching sound. The car backed up and continued on the main road instead. Just after, one of our neighbors came through with his huge SUV and hit the object . . . didn't damage his Expedition but whatever it was got the shaft, so to speak.

My mom came out of the house and I had already went out to the ramp to see if I could get a better view of what was out there. Needless to say, with the street being dark somewhat and the street light at the corner lost inside Mama Maple tree, I could only make out a large flat dark object.

Mom got in her chair as our next door neighbor who lives on the other corner came out to see what all the noise was about. Both of them got out to the road and discovered a large flat screen tv.

Well, what was left of it anyways. The screen is busted and the plastic housing seriously cracked.

They drug it to the curb near our fence and left it there for the time being to see if anyone came by to claim it. If not, we were going to move it to the other side of our driveway where our trash is picked up and call the sanitation department to come pick it up with the regular trash collection on Thursday . . .

Flash forward to about 15 minutes ago . . .

Mom stuck her head in the bedroom while I was online and said she'd found out where the tv came from. Turned out, the new family that had moved in just a couple of weeks ago around the corner had came home last night to find their home broken into and their flat screen tv gone, along with their son's Playstation system.

Apparently a window was open, so they're surmising that whomever broke in came in through a window and opened the front door that way to get the tv and Playstation out. Either the burglar panicked or turned the corner too fast, but the tv fell from the back of their truck and it landed screen down in the street.

They think they know who did this . . . a "friend" with a small pickup that helped them move into their home. They'll get hold of one of our neighbors to help get the tv moved back to their house (we have a guy next street over who has a moving truck.)

I only hope they filed a police report . . . turns out they're making payments on the tv (it came from a Rent-To-Own store) and they'll have to have one in order to not be held liable for damages. . .

Makes us even gladder we had a security system installed in our home, which was a week ago last Friday after we heard about the other break-in.

Turns out a week ago Wednesday a sales rep from one of the biggest home security companies (blue/white logo . . . we'll call them XYZ) came by and talked with Mom while I was at work. He had a great special on installation going, so Mom decided to jump on it. It was installed that Friday, only the control panel was replaced and they were able to use the sensors and hook up into the old panel from our previous system (we had one installed via another company but we had to have it it turned off a few years ago b/c of less money coming in after Mom got sick.)

We've got two pendants (one for Mom and one for my brother) that works like the Life Alert . . . in case of medical emergency press the button and tell them what's happening and they'll send help. There's also 2 remotes for the keychains, but we keep one on the desk in the living room for when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep and want to go outside for a smoke . . .

Otherwise, it works like the old system did, with some new bells and whistles . . . we have a 2way feature that allows us to communicate directly with the monitoring center from anywhere inside the house in case of emergency. We can have the option to have it connected directly to both the local police and fire departments as well (not sure if Mom chose that option or not. She never said.)

But I know the damn thing is loud as hell . . . as I accidentally found out last Monday morning when apparently I didn't press the button long enough on the remote to turn off the alarm before going outside with my coffee . . .

I think I broke a record for house-flying trying to get to the backdoor to get the alarm turned off . . .but least the cops didn't show up . . . I'd have had to make another pot of coffee.

Anyone else having issues with burglars in their areas?

[Horsetuna]

something like that.

Apparently as I just found out, a former tenant in this building was a crack dealer. He left, and a new couple moved in. course, all his clients were bothering them at all hours of the day. They had a sign up in their basement suite NEW TENANTs. DO NOT KNOCK ON WINDOWS WE WILL CALL POLICE. Another guy moved out cause he was threatened with a stabbing. (never before was I glad to live on top floor)

As well, somehow building keys got out as prostitutes are apparently using empty suites for their business as well as the drug dealers, and deals going on in the laundry room too.

This week very soon the entire building is being rekeyed. we got new doors put in as well. Complete and utter crackdown on security. About damn time. Three times people coming to my apartment were let in by someone else in the building just by going up and knocking on the door.

[BlaqueKatt]

Anyone else having issues with burglars in their areas?

went out to smoke this morning and noticed my chair was moved...storm window was up and there was a metal bar stuck under the inside window-we have two window locks both very strong. there were also wet footprints on the porch...so it was done shortly before I got up.

I live on the third floor....our back porch has stairs running to the ground and cannot be seen....I decided to tape up one of my range targets....within view of the window

[Retail Associate]

When my son was still living here and in high school he was robbed three times. The first time he had his quadrunner for sale in the front yard. He had it parked near a tree with a cable going around the tree and around one of the bars of the quad and padlocked. Some hoodlums cut the cable, picked up the quad and put it in their pick-up and drove off with it. They were caught the next day riding it in the trails. They had already damaged it so badly that it was no longer sellable (is that a word?). The police held it for evidence for months and the kid that was caught riding it was never prosecuted. (Long story.)

Since it had been damaged so much my son decided to fix it up. He had it looking better than it ever did so he changed his mind about selling it and kept it for another year or so. He always parked it in back of the house and cabled it to a basketball goal post. One night someone cut the cable and pushed that damn thing down the side of the road to a nearby church where it appeared they had a pick-up waiting and once again, it was loaded up and gone. It was after a light snowfall and my son could see the foot prints and tracks alongside the road. This time the quad was never found. No insurance.

Another time my son had come home late from a night with friends. He had taken his gaming system and several games with him to the 'party' and when he got home he was too tired to haul all that stuff into the house so he left it out in his truck. During the night someone broke into his truck, stole the gaming system, all the games, all his CDs, the stereo, his sunglasses, his chapstick, his inhaler (he has asthma) and even some change he had in the ash tray. There were other things stolen too but I can't remember all of it. At least this time it was covered by insurance.

I'm convinced whoever broke into his truck was at that party and knew he had all that stuff in there. He doesn't think so though.

My son has since moved out so I live alone now with my cat and my fish. I'm a night owl. I have a couple web sites I've designed and maintain for people and I usually work on those during the wee hours. One night, around 2AM, I was at my computer eating some crackers when I heard my front door open. (I usually keep it locked but must have forgotten that night.) The sound scared the crap out of me and I started choking on a cracker. Just as I started coughing, I heard the door slam shut. I was too scared to move for a while so I didn't go right away to see if I could spot anyone running away.

Usually I don't mind living alone but that was probably the most scared I've ever been. I called my son. He came to investigate and calm his old mother down.

[Heksubah]

But I know the damn thing is loud as hell . . . as I accidentally found out last Monday morning when apparently I didn't press the button long enough on the remote to turn off the alarm before going outside with my coffee . . .

I think I broke a record for house-flying trying to get to the backdoor to get the alarm turned off . . .but least the cops didn't show up . . . I'd have had to make another pot of coffee.

Buahaha, I just started working for XYZ in the beginning of October. I work for one of their three main monitoring centers so I imagine you got someone like me calling to ask if everything was okay and to verify your password. That's my job, I'm an emergency dispatch operator. I call on the 2 ways and the home to verify all is okay and call the cops otherwise.

I'm still in the new job squeeeee stage.

[AccountingDrone]

Buahaha, I just started working for XYZ in the beginning of October. I work for one of their three main monitoring centers so I imagine you got someone like me calling to ask if everything was okay and to verify your password. That's my job, I'm an emergency dispatch operator. I call on the 2 ways and the home to verify all is okay and call the cops otherwise.

I'm still in the new job squeeeee stage.

Welcome to the industry =) I worked for WellsFargo/ADT [it did some fun name changing/buying and selling fun while I was working there in the late 90s] I enjoyed the heck out of it despite some of the people working there ... I think I got 12 or 13 $50 bounties for crooks being caught onsite by the cops during my time there =)

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

My parents were having an odd problem recently. Somebody was dumping trash on their front lawn.

According to a neighbor who witnessed the dumping the first time, the vehicle involved was a Cadillac which drove to the end of the block, turned around, came up to the curb slowly, opened the door, shoved the trash out, and booked.

We don't know anybody who drives a Cadillac so we can't figure out if we pissed somebody off or just happened to be the wrong place at the wrong time.

This happened twice before they put up a motion detector light on the garage. It hasn't happened since.

[jedimaster91]

My parents' area got hit several times recently. A friend of ours who live a couple streets over from them has been burglerized three times. Never anything big like a TV, but cash, jewlery, and the like. Oddly enough, their son's Xbox and games were left alone. A few houses on my parents' street have been hit a couple times, as have my parents. My sister's brand new MacBook, Dad's Nikon camera, Li'l Bro's Nintendo DS, some games, and some cash, and Mom's wedding ring were stolen. You should see the new back door they got. Triple paned glass with massive deadbolts on the top, bottom, and middle. Ain't nobody coming through that thing, guarenteed!

Incidentally, why must little punks thieve? Didn't we all learn in kindergarten "if it's not yours, DON'T TOUCH IT!"

[Salted Grump]

Hell, for years we had a problem with theft, but it wasn't the type one can report to police.

Backstory: My dad was a habitual user of Cannabis to mitigate the negative side effects of his medications to keep his HIV infection in check. He was medically licensed to do so, and everyone in the area, including several RCMP officers, knew he grew his own crop, for himself.

Problem is, we also had incidences of 'Two-legged skunks' sneaking onto our property at around 2-3 AM and stealing the plants a few weeks before they were ready to be harvested. Which caused all sorts of ugliness, as said cannabis was used so A: my dad could move without crippling pain, and B: so he could keep food down.

Several times, he was forced to resort to buying some from a 'mutual acquaintance' through his son-in-law, until we built a re-bar reinforced cage to grow them in. (We're talking one bar every 3 inches so nobody can get a hand through)

Eventually, we found out who had been stealing the majority of the crop, and, well, let's just say that, despite his physical infirmities, nobody ever wanted to make my dad angry; he wouldn't raise a finger, but he'd leave you feeling smaller than a maggot, and lower than dirt by pointing out exactly why he used it, and that each theft, effectively, lowered his quality of life, and potentially his long-term life expectancy.

Also, in 1994 we had our TV and VCR (And a tape to record the Batman Animated series episode of the day for my little brother and I) stolen, but not the remotes. Turns out the guy who stole them was, once again, someone we knew, and had, until then, trusted to work as a contractor on the house.

[protege]

My place hasn't been hit, but supposedly one down the street did. Seems a new family moved in, and someone cased their house from the woods. So far, that's been the only burglary. People tend to leave my place alone. Something about watching me break railroad ties in the driveway with a 40-pound fence maul...tends to keep the thugs away

I do know that the previous homeowner had a break-in. There was an older lady living there, and while she was at the doctor's...her *grandson* broke in to steal her medications That's why both doors have heavy security grates over the doors, and all the basement windows are glass block.

Grandma's place...was another story. Someone actually tried to break-in when I was there She was in the hospital after her auto accident, and some loser thought it was an easy score. No cars visible, no lights on inside, easy pickings. Or so they thought. I heard someone on the porch--when I turned the lights on, whoever it was took off towards the highway. I was pretty pissed, and grabbed the pitchfork off the other porch, and went after the bastard. Never had that problem again

That's not to say that the farm was immune to burglars--shortly before it was sold, someone broke into my workshop. Whoever it was, made off with some tools, but oddly enough...left the few model kits I hadn't moved yet...behind. Never found out who it was, but I'm sure it was someone the realtor let into the place.

[SnapAddict218]

Sweetfaces car was just hit last week. I actually just posted about it. Its awesome to cuz he can't work so I get to pay for repairs. And his meds, and the rent and....yea. Woo hoo!

Ass holes.

[KellyHabersham]

We had an incident like that sometime last night on the church property - someone broke into the preschool/daycare building and stole the director's computer equipment, plus a few other items. And apparently the veternarian office across the street has also been hit recently, so it would seem that businesses in the area are being cased.

[BarbieGirl]

My sister just got robbed a few weeks ago. Big ol expedition came and parked but they hadn't left for church yet, car left and came back about 20 mins later while they were gone, stole their brand new big screen and laptop and ipods and some jewlery.

I personally think it was either the neighbors behind them, you can see straight into each others livingrooms/dining rooms. And there has been activity in the area that leads one to believe they may be involved with the local gang.

or some one at the home sercurity company that BIL had called the week before to check about setting up the system that was already installed but decided not to because it wasn't a good deal and they weren't a well known company......