I had a VERY SCARY experience yesterday!

[revvinkevin]

After I got home from work yesterday afternoon, I discovered SOMEONE had been IN MY HOUSE... and it was NOT my father or my roommate! Someone broke into my house!

Whoever he was came in through my roommates bedroom window, rummaged through all the dresser drawers and storage closets in two bedrooms! I called the police and an officer showed up to take the report and check for fingerprints. He finally managed to find one, but it looked like it might have been smeared.

FORTUNATELY they did not take very much, he did NOT take my check or my expensive Nikon digital camera (which was sitting on my desk), my check book or a large number of other stuff.

But he DID take my iPod Touch (of course the ONE day I forgot to take it with me to work!) and my roommate had an old PC laptop computer. So far those are the only things missing!

After the police officer was here for about 30 minutes did it really start to sink in and I started stressing about it! GAWD this is a TERRIBLE FEELING! ARRRGGG!!!

 

[andrewinorlando]

It's a terrible violation of privacy and one's personal space, but you will get over it in time. It just feels so "icky" at first, knowing some stranger was in your place going through your personal things. Just lock those doors and windows!! Folks would be surprised if they were to realize just how easy it is to break into the average home.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I don't think I ever felt more violated

Than when my home ws broken into. They didn't stay long enough to steal anything, but the thought that someone was in my home, touching my things was worse than if they had cleaned me out.

 

[parunner58]

Kevin, I am so sorry to hear what had happened. The same thing happened to us in 1982, but we were not so lucky. I found out when i went to the bank on the first Saturday when they opened. Our guy was a "neat freak bandit" did not mess up the place. The bank teller told up the checking account was over drawn. I would check your checkbook to make sure all the checks are in there, our guy took some out of the back of the book and took my social security card and my un-opened envelope that had my car registration in it. So he had ID to write the checks. Luckily a neighbor let us know who it might have been. He was caught, wound up being the boyfriend of the lady down the hall, was given two weeks to get his affairs in order before going to jail and did this to buy going away gifts for friends and family. He was being put in jail for tring to buy guns from an undercover state cop, stealing from Ingersoll-Rand corporation, and stealing a horse. He was sent to Greatford Prison in Jersey and was out in 6 months and back in her apartment. We did complain and she was asked to move out. He left our apartment and went on a shopping spree, but everyone that sold stuff to him ID'ed him when the cops showed his picture. he bought a ski jacket, BB gun,, walkman, microwave, diamond ring.

 

[jakeseacrest]

Disturbing to say the least! My reasoning is you enter my house, you lose a knee or a nut...depending on how I feel that day! A few years ago some moron tried to break into my sister's car in the driveway...they didn't expect me and my brother in law to chase them in a foot of snow while we were barefoot!

 

[ptcruiser51]

Different Feelings

My apartment was robbed around 1985. I didn't realize it until I went to my bedroom and letters I had kept were scattered on my bed, opened and apparently read! Like Kevin, my expensive camera was on my desk. I always keep around $200 cash in my desk, it was untouched! What they did was take a gym bag out of my closet and dump the contents of my jewelry box into it. Can you believe I actually laughed? Of all things, I am not one for jewelry of any kind - it contained only "junk" stuff that I had accumulated. Cheap cufflinks, tie tacs, that sort of thing. The only thing of sentiment was a cheap wristwatch my aunt had given me for 8th grade graduation. Cops told me I would probably find other things missing. They were right! A month later I was going to bingo and discovered my bingo chips were missing! In the usual metal can marked "Bingo", along with dotters and a few coins. WTF?!? Again, I laughed at the sheer silliness.

At the time there was a hot-sheet motel down the block (since demolished) that was housing welfare families imported from Newark. Other robberies took place with similar odd things stolen, cops figured kids.

My parents were also robbed about the same time while they were on vacation. Mattress pulled off the bed, drawers rifled, also (!) personal letters opened and read. Cops suspected girls, they took my OL's perfumes and nail polish. Cripes.

 

[thomasortega]

Well, that's a terrible experience, but not so bad as having a bullet next to the heart as a souvenir.

 

[jeffg]

The only experience I've had with this kind of violation is a mugging in West Hollywood, about 20 years ago. They took my $93 in cash but handed my wallet back (which was my main concern).

Strange as it might sound, instead of fighting with the two guys (one of whom was about 6'4" and holding a crowbar), I just looked at them with compassion and I could see/feel their aggression and rage just melt away.

 

[bugsyjones]

My house was robbed in December. It seems kind of unusual as I live out in the country. I suppose that makes it all the better target as there are few 'looky-loos' to catch you in the act.

They kicked in the front door and ransacked the bedroom. They didn't take much of value. They took some pocket knives, garage sale purchased watch (that didn't work) and some loose change.

The other rooms looked untouched until I realized my digital camera was missing. It was only worth $100 anyway. I'm just glad we weren't cleaned out.

I had alot of other things laying out in the open that anyone could grab, but they didn't.

The things they took weren't worth anything at all. Now I don't take chances. I've doubled up on the door locks and I have an alarm system now.

I feel your pain!

~Tim

 

[jakeseacrest]

Long story and kinda long...I apologize. Back in the 70s my mom and her friend went out one night and my mom had a weird feeling when she dropped off her friend. When she got home she called her to see if she was ok. Just as her friend was picking up the phone and started to yell, the phone went dead. My mom called the police and my dad started the car to go over there. Her friend had went into the house and took a shower before bed. When she opened the bathroom door, a man was in her house and started to beat her senseless. The cops got there after my parents did and had to pull my mom off of the guy. My mom still asks what was she thinking going into that house without waiting for the cops and it was over 30 years ago. Her friend had only minor injuries thank god. That story scared me for most of my childhood.

 

[earthling177]

Kevin, sorry to hear it, I hope things improve for y'all!

 

[laundromat]

Hollywood

When I lived in Florida, I had a neighbor who was always away. She was a flight attendanr for Delta Airlines and was in the process of selling her house. She came home one day to find an empty house. Somebody brought a moving van and took everything she owned!!!We were shocked and said that all of us as neighbors,assumed that she had sent the "movers" to get her stuff.When I was younger,our neighbors were all close knit and were all good "watchdogs". Even if you farted sideways,they'd call or come over to be sure everything was alright.

 

[yogitunes]

I was robbed 3 times at the same house (1983 to 1985)...they came thru the window each time, ransacked the house, first time it was the nephews of my BF boss, so we couldn't prosecute, next time was a neighbor down the street, third time we got cleaned out of a lot of stuff, and I know if a robber really wants toget in he will, but I wasn't making it easy anymore, all the windows had a holed drilled in and screwed shut whenever I left the house, I may return to a HOT house during the smmer, but at least it never happened again, they stole tyoical things lie camera and stereos and tv's....but they also took the ice cubes and trays, and the beer in the fridge, towels and soaps out of the bathoom, clothes out of the closet, not to mention socks and underwear, WTF, were they trying on my stuff?...but yeah violated and you alwayswonder was someone watching us thru the windows for weeks....an alarm system as never installed because we lived in the country and would take for ever for the cops to get there.....

but like I said, if they want in, there gonna, bt I ave one hell of a system now, it talks to me, "frontdoor open", "intruder alert, basement location", "fire emergency, al personnel must evacuate immediately", it will tell you which exact window is being open, and the call center is a split second a way, they can hear you all over the house talking, and I have a huge house, an amazing system.....

bt sorr kevin, that youhad to experince, it wll pass in time...take care....martin

 

[dogboy44]

AUGH!

I have had that 3 times, one was a home invasion and we were held at gunpoint. It was very scary and amazing at the same time what runs thru your head when you think you are going to be killed. Summer is a good time for this sort of thing, windows open day and night, and extreme heat makes people crazy.

I feel for you Kevin. So sorry to hear this.

 

[qsd-dan]

My reasoning is you enter my house, you lose a knee or a nut

Screw that! You come into my house unwelcome and you lose your LIFE!! Dead men/woman can't sue! This is a very important factor in ass-backwards California where criminals win court cases for getting injured for the crimes THEY committed.

Never had a break in because we've always had dogs. Got close one time when someone pulled the screen off of our front window YEARS ago during the wee hours. My English Springer went ballistic (best dog I EVER owned) and scared him/her off. Become a dog owner and give the dog access to both house and yard. Too many people have their dog permanently outside which doesn't help any when the criminal is inside the house.

 

[animasinsulinpu]

Break -in

That's what I say. "Before you break-into my house, make sure you picked out what color of body bag that you would like to be transported to the mortuary in because you WILL be" I think they also make designer patterns also. I will check.....Bill in Az....

 

[xraytech]

We have never been robbed, but as a child it was repeated so many times about when in the early 70's my grandmother was robbed, it was in the summer, grandpap was working the 3-11 shift and grandma packed up her 64 Impala SS with all 4 kids and went 1.5 miles down the road to visit my great grandmother, they returned around dusk, and as pulling in she was yelling at mother and my aunt about leaving the light on in their bedroom, and as doing it my aunt watched the light go out, and as they were stopping the carthey watched the 2 robbers run out the back door, which both were armed. Had it not been for the noise from the cherry bomb muffler on that car they would have entered the house. They only took some good diamond rings, and a coffee can of change, they never went through the closets because they were all crammed full of stuff so it was too time consuming to look through, they went through the fridge, and even ripped the door off of the chest freezer because it was locked(I guess a lot of peopl emust hide money in the freezer)
They robbers broke the panes of glass out of the kitchen door, grandma always shut and locked the windows before she left, and now the doors get locked, plus they all have dead bolts, there are 3 locks on the cellar door.After that story being repeated all the time, I have always kept doors locked, storm doors locked too, windows locked.
And if anyone were to enter my home they would not be leaving alive, weather I shoot them, stab them with my cutco knife, or strangle them with something or all of the above.
And grandma at 73 years old has told most of the town that if they think they are entering their house she is going to shoot them 5 times. She has her 38mm gun and we regulary practicve using it so she is ready if she ever needs it.

Sorry to hear about your break in Kevin, at least they didnt steal anything with personal info

 

[iheartmaytag]

My Insruance agent

said when our house was broken into, to expect another break in within a few weeks.

Robbers will usually break in and steal stuff, then wait a few weeks for the insurance settlement to come in and you replace the TV and computer. Then they break in and steal the new stuff. He said he has had clients that were robbed three times within a short time.

When I bought my house two years ago, the ladies already had an alarm system installed. I had it upgraded and feel a little more secure when I'm gone. When I'm home there is a 357 to help with security detail.

BTW--I was the totally rotten neighbor that sat and watched a neighbor move all day long. A moving van showed up about 8:30. The men were in uniform. I watched them carry out everything, thought it was kind of funny that they were taking the carpet. That night they came home from work and they weren't moving. Guess it pays to know your neighbors and some of their personal business.

 

[ronhic]

My parents were broken into about 10yrs ago on New Years Eve whilst they were away....

They gained access through the only window that can't readily be seen either from the street or from neighbours...the laundry...though they must have made a hell of a racket with things falling off the window sill into the (large) stainless steel tub...

So what did they take...a coffee jar of commemorative 50c pieces....that was all the cash in the house. They left the camera that was on the dining table, the DVD player (and they were expensive then) and even mums jewelery that was in the same room as the coins but a different drawer...

Needless to say, the horse has bolted but they now have an alarm!

 

[jeffg]

> Guess it pays to know your neighbors and some of their personal business. <

If a neighbor wants to know you, and share their personal business with you, that's great. But otherwise, PLEASE mind your own business.

We've had some truly awful experiences with busybodies over the years. Our next door neighbor at our last house was Mrs. Kravitz. We sincerely considered putting a bullet through her head. We couldn't even open a friggin door without her peeping out at us between her miniblinds.

 

[strongenough78]

That sucks!

Sorry to hear about that Kevin. Some people are so scantless. Last summer I had left the windows down a crack in my Lincoln since it had been so hot outside. And someone had pushed the window the rest of the way down and went through it. They didn't take anything, luckily I didn't have anything in there worth taking. They just left the glove box open and all my cd's scattered all over the seats. The cops couldn't get a clear set of prints either. All I can suggest hun, is get a BIG ASS DOG. That'll teach the next person not to break into houses anymore.

 

[spankomatic]

they didn't expect me and my brother in law to chase the

That is a good way to get SHOT! I was a 911 operator for 20 years. I took a call of an in progress auto burglary in the driveway of the residence. While on the phone the owner of the car ran outside (against my advice) to catch the burglar and was shot DEAD in his driveway. If you get home and find a door or window open... go to a neighbors and call the police. Do not go inside. Yes,rapeist do hide in closets and wait. It is not a myth. Neighbors and dogs are your best defense. Burglar alarms are usually the LOWEST priority call. Good burglars know this. They have lots of time before the police arrive even if the neighbors and alarm company call them. In some cases they do not respond at all and will wait for you to call with an ACTUAL crime to report. Hope the info is helpful.
Jim

 

[imperialmarkxii]

LA. Riots

Gee Kevin, sorry to hear about this; this way. How did this scumball,get past your neighbors dogs' radar??? Or did they think he was just barking at nothing?

Back in the early 90's, shortly after the "Rodney King Riot" (several weeks), my early 1980's silver blue Cadillac w/navy blue leather interior was stolen off the street in front of the tri-plex we lived at the time. And we were nowhere near where most of the looting and destruction was occurring. Dis-belief, YES. VIOLATED, like never before. I contended that these thugs demolished, and trashed so many of their OWN belongings; that they were out to "replace" them by saturating any AND ALL neighborhoods to get whatever they could pry loose.

We only had one off-street parking place there, and as my Mother was living w/me at the time we would trade-off nite after nite parking in the street. Forget that i had the "CLUB" anti-theft device on the steering wheel; they cut right thru the steering wheel, and removed it. ...

Funny thing; the landlords wife, (some of the nicest people you could know) had a dream the evening that happened that MY car was being stolen. Needless to say she felt REALLY bad about it the next day.

Long story short,the car had been recovered, TRASHED, CHOPPED-UP ... A VERY SICKENING THING TO SEE how someone could do this to what was a BEAUTIFUL sedan DE Ville. INSULT TO INJURY?? i had just had front-end suspension work done; and new rubber on it,

Time softens the shock of it all, but you NEVER really get over it. I share your feelings my friend.

-Russell

 

[frapdoodle]

i know how you feel

about a month ago my two friends and i were walking to town. we had just turned a corner, and i looked into the forrest and there was a man up there. now that may not sound like much, but he did not have a county jacket. so i looked to my friends and i said "now alexis, daniella do you see that guy"
? they answered "yes". so just for the hell of it they started running. i did not feel like running so i kept walking. luckly i looked behind me and the guy was chasing us. i started running, and alexis and daniella werwe slowing down. i told them to keep going because the guy was chasing us. the guy was gaining on us fast. so we dove off the road to try and hide from him. he found us. we were scared poop-less. he told us to give him all our stuff, but i was wearing skinny jeans. whitch i look very sexy in if i do say so myself. but thats beside the point. the guy saw my cell phone, itouch and 36 dollars cash besause of my sexy skinny jeans. so we gave him our things and he left. then i flagged down a car and the police came and cought the guy. but i did not get any of my things back cause he already sold them.

as you can imagine i was quite distrought. the next day i went to school and by third period EVERYONE knew what had happened. and when i say everyone i mean everyone. even teachers. and actually one of the counclers told me to start carring pepper spray. so now i carry pepper spray everywere i go. even school. but no one knows. so its all good andf i dont show or use it so yueah

 

[alr2903]

Me too in 1982, they made off with a portable tv, the freaky thing was the 80's console tv (heavy as hell). was pulled out, cord rolled up and ready to move. to this day i think they were in the house when i drove up. We now have bars on the back windows and an alarm system and the neighbors have a big woofin dog that i love. More than anything in here i worry about our 2 cats they hopefully would hide, and they are the only thing in here i would kill your ass over Deadbolts that are keyed on both sides are best, make the burglar go out the way they got in. My realtor told me the biggest "boon" to the thug home burglary busisness is cordless power tools, they can work on doors and windows in seconds with a power drill ( the cordless tools they prolly picked up at the last house robbery). The other half works strange shifts and really we don't have set patterns leaving the house, routine is bad too. Kevin get an alarm and beef up your security/locks. I feel for you, it's very unsettling.

 

[appliguy]

Wow...I am impressed with all the big talk of killing people

NOT!!!!!!! Unless I had to do it in self defense I could never kill anyone....to me material objects just are not worth the guilt I would feel over taking a life. I also agree with Spankomatic that it is very dumb to chase after anyone who has tried to break into your car or house. You guys need to think of how it would affect your family and friends if you were killed doing something stupid like that. I had a macho friend who did the same thing when someone tried to break into his neighbors house and he got shot. He was lucky for 2 reasons though. First, he was shot in the shoulder and second, he was shot with a bee bee gun. When his sister found out what he had done she was mad as hell and told him thats what he deserved for thinking with his dork instead of his brain. She said she could not understand how he could put his life on the line for material possesions ....his or anyone elses. Looking back on it my friend now says if he had it to do over again he would have handled it differently. All I am asking all you macho guys out there is are material possesions worth it? I understand about about feeling violated ..... my car was broken into one time. the guy used a shiv to pop the lock on the door of my 1983 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. He tried to hot wire it but he got interuppted by someone entering the parking garage. To this day I can not figure out why the guy wanted a car that was 15 years old at the time. even though it was in really good shape...A STATION WAGON?????? PAT COFFEY

 

[iheartmaytag]

If a neighbor wants to know you, and share their personal bu

I actually live across the street from Mrs. Kraviz right now. I understand what you are saying. She is a real PITA.
BUT--If someone is going on vacation, or be away overnight. or even moving; it is a good ideal to let your neighbors know so they can watch out for your stuff. That is unless you are afraid that your neighbors would be the one to clean you out. In any case notify the Police so they can increase patrol in your area.

 

[revvinkevin]

Thank you for all of your heartfelt comments. Yes it is a terrible thing to experience, very unsettling and disturbing just KNOWING some stranger was in MY own house, going through MY own things! I felt uneasy and violated. I would not wish it on anyone.

So far it would appear it was just some kid, based on what was taken and what was not. There were a number of things which I was surprised, but also very relieved to see was still there. Of course the thought what came to mind was, "Now they've seen what's here, they know what to come back for!" When I mentioned this to the police officer, he told me "The vast majority of the time, it's a one time deal, and almost never return to the same residence".

I am very fortunate because a lot more could have been taken, but wasn't and no one was injured. My 82 year old father lives with me but he was not aware anyone had been in the house.

I feel for all of you who have experienced anything like this and I'm sorry to hear you had to go through it, especially that home invasion John! I cannot even imagine going through that! I am happy to hear you and your family was not injured! It's very unfortunate that some "assholes" chose any one of our homes as a "target" to see what they can help themselves to. But the items taken from me, you or your loved ones are just material "things" which can be replaced, someone's life cannot.

 

[qsd-dan]

"Unless I had to do it in self defense I could never kill anyone....to me material objects just are not worth the guilt I would feel over taking a life."

But how will you be able to decipher if the break-in is over material possessions, rape, or taking ones life out of anger?

The way I see it, that's one less idiot in this world that tax payers don't have to pay massive amounts of $$ over the course of a life sentence. This kind of liberal thinking is the reason why crime is out of control. If everybody was armed and properly trained to use a weapon, there would be little to no crime. Texas is a prime example of this.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Just as long as your washer/dryer collection survived!

Maybe I shouldn't have joked about "cleaning out your garage" like I did...

Seriously, That sucks. I live in a older neighborhood in a small town where all the families know (and watch out for) each other. I doubt half of them even lock their doors. I do just from force of habit from living in the SF Bay Area for so long. I currently rely on a 'Security system by Labs, inc.' setup. The dogs do a very good job of policing the property.

RCD