Robbery at My Brother's House - A Preventable Crime

[raebates]

My brother's house was broken into a 1 p.m. today. He lives in Indianapolis. The thieves broke down the side door, cut the cable to the TV, and took the TV over the fence. My brother has an alarm, so the TV's the only thing they got. One of them lost a diamond stud during the robbery, so there's at least one piece of evidence. (Where's the CSI team when you need them? They'd have caught the guys buy now. LOL!) My brother had the serial number for the TV, so that information will be distributed to local pawn shops.

My brother was working. My SIL was out shopping, and the kids were at her mom's.

The police told him that there has been a rash of burglaries in the city. Crime is up 25-30% in the suburbs, so it's probably gone up even more in the city. My brother and his wife have open windows in their family room (no blinds, shades, or drapes--just sheers). The officer told them that people walking by can see exactly what they have. That made it easier for them to choose his house.

So, if you live where there is a possibility of foot traffic (or slow vehicular traffic), be sure to close your blinds, drapes, or shades. You don't want to make it any easier for the bad guys.

 

[rennea]

Oh how terrible Rae. It is such a violation when this happens. Thank goodness the kids were not home alone when it happened.

 

[Koolotus]

Thanks for the heads up!
I am glad nothing else was taken and no one was home.
I was just at a neighborhood tea, and one of the ladies commented on how hard I had been working all fall. When I looked confused she said that my office was like a fishbowl and she used to see me every night chatting on the phone or on the computer while she closed her drapes. eek/!
I have a nice "corner" office/meeting room and the whole office section is all windows, with, you guessed it...sheers.
In the winter I hang fleece because it is drafty, but I guess I will need to invest in something different!

 

[raebates]

I'm sure he feels terribly violated. Since the kids are only 5 and 2 1/2, there isn't much chance that they'd have been home alone. That would have been a whole other issue. The officers speculate that they probably rang the doorbell first. They most likely only broke in once they were sure no one was home. My brother has a dog, but it's a big old golden retriever. She might have licked them to death or beaten them with her tail, but that's about it. Then again, if she had been a threat, they might have hurt her. You never know.

 

[Jennie4PC]

Rae that is horrible, one other thing I heard was that thieves would canvas the neighborhood right after Christmas to see what people got. Since people take thier boxes out to the garbage.

 

[rennea]

Did you guys hear about the guy that was just caught living in a families attic? It's been on the news today. The family started having food, clothing and a laptop went missing. One of the family members discovered footprints on the carpet below the attic door and called police!

 

[Jennie4PC]

yikes. That would totally freak me out.

 

[raebates]

I just got off the phone with my brother. (Our mom's the one who originally called me.) The guy who was there fixing his door while I talked to him had just come from the house about a block south that had been hit at 10:30 this morning. At that home, the woman was upstairs with her children. The doorbell rang, but she was busy. She heard 3 loud bangs, ran to the landing, and saw people in her house. When she screamed they ran.Most of the robberies they've taken just the TV. He said that the silver lining is that they've been meaning to strip and refinish that door. Now they'll just replace it. (The repairman was doing repairs just to get them through until the new door comes in.)

 

[tlag1986]

I am glad everyone is safe. Crime seams to be up in our rural area as well. We have shut all the barn doors, and put a lock on the gravity flow gas tank.

 

[janetupnorth]

Glad they were all safe!Maybe they can get a DNA sample off that earring. ...or then maybe I watch too much CSI!

 

[raebates]

I told him that if they can't use it as evidence, maybe he can pawn it. He said it's really big. Then again, it's probably either fake or stolen.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Glad they were all safe!

Maybe they can get a DNA sample off that earring. ...or then maybe I watch too much CSI!

For a murder case, maybe, or even grand larceny. For a common burglary? You watch too much CSI.

 

[janetupnorth]

For a murder case, maybe, or even grand larceny. For a common burglary? You watch too much CSI.

Yeah, a TV isn't worth the lab fees.

 

[esavvymom]

They were just showing on the news in my area about a neighborhood (close to where we used to live) in which 3 masked gunmen are waiting for people outside their homes. The people come home and get out of their cars in their driveway- only to be held up at gunpoint for their goods....cell phones, car/house keys, wallets, GPS, etc. They have the people lying on the ground. As the crooks take off in their car, they shoot back at the people (to keep them from getting a look at their car probably).THAT'S scary. I guess we have to NOT take things for granted. With the home invasions, my DH and I have talked about how you can reinforce the doors- it would be too easy to kick in. Storm doors hopefully will slow them down. And take not of any strange cars in your street (in the news, they said they were waiting in their car when the one couple drove up). And don't leave your garage door in your cars!!

 

[JAE]

"And don't leave your garage door in your cars!!" My garage door doesn't fit in my car!!!!

 

[candiejayne]

yikes! makes me wanna bring our guard dog inside! also makes me rethink leaving my laptop sit in my chair next to the window. eekkk!

my BF is sooo going to burglar proof the house tomorrow! I don't care if he thinks I'm crazy or not! We do have ADT stickers on our doors and windows though to make it look like we have a system, and an ADT truck is parked in the driveway periodically, but it's only cause his brother is a technician.

 

[Kodeysmom]

Here in my area in southeastern TN there have been a rash of burglaries as well and they have only been taking TV's nothing else. That is strange.

 

[raebates]

Not really. TVs are easy to resell.I told my brother that this is one of the advantages of having nothing of any real value to anyone else. LOL!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Wait'll these guys show up and steal your hot tub.

 

[janetupnorth]

Wait'll these guys show up and steal your hot tub.

Rae's hot tub - now that will be a sight!

 

[c00p]

I have friends that live in Indianapolis and they are here visiting right now. I sure hope that everything will be ok for them when they get home. And I'm glad that your brother's 4-legged baby was ok......that would have been horrible if something had happend to her.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Rae's hot tub - now that will be a sight!

well, it is the Only One of its Kind!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

They'd set it up behind Mr. Weenie along with an old camper trailer and turn it into a resort.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I was reading this thread for the seriousness of it.....but of course, that had to take a turn.

Imagining someone taking Rae's hot tub is hilarious! I doubt that anyone would take it, it would be too easy to trace.

A while back, there were several robberies in this area, where the thieves were walking in during the day and taking what they liked. MANY around here don't lock their doors, which made it easy for the thieves - they didn't have to break, only enter!

 

[Yakmama]

My brother lives in a house with 3 other roommates and they live in a really nice neighborhood. EVERY SINGLE ONE of their Christmas packages were stolen off their front porch. They were all expecting multiple packages (and they all work during the day). The UPS/FedEx/Post office people left the packages on the front porch and they were all stolen over the course of a week.
Another girl I know had just gotten a new snowblower for Christmas and had it sitting in her garage. While she was home alone with the baby, someone broke into the garage and stole it. It's pretty creepy to think that someone walked into her house while she was there!
These criminals are getting gutsy with the economy the way it is. It sickens me that they think they are entitled to take stuff that belongs to other people. So sad...

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Newsflash - the economy has nothing to do with how gutsy the burglars are. They have always been this gutsy - you've just not paid attention before.One thing that you might be able to link to the economy is that counterfeiting is on the rise. With color copiers being so readily available, it's just too tempting for some. I just don't know where they're getting the paper that passes for real paper. I know I will never accept a $50 or $100 bill from anyone other than a bank teller.

 

[Yakmama]

Newsflash - the economy has nothing to do with how gutsy the burglars are. They have always been this gutsy - you've just not paid attention before.

One thing that you might be able to link to the economy is that counterfeiting is on the rise. With color copiers being so readily available, it's just too tempting for some. I just don't know where they're getting the paper that passes for real paper. I know I will never accept a $50 or $100 bill from anyone other than a bank teller.

If it's not the economy- then why the sudden increase in burglaries?

 

[etteluap70PC]

The robbery trend arround here is thieves pulling into attached garages. Either the Garage door is left open or another door is. The thieves pull in close the door and no one can even see what is going on.

A ballsy one that happend was a family had a car battery stolen. It was returned a few days later with a note saying sorry and it had free movie tickets attached. The family decicded to be thankful and used the tickets.... when they got home their house was cleaned out.

Some people............

 

[christyh]

I hope they catch the people. Its a horrible feeling knowing someone has been in your space and gone through your things. My business was broken into the first of this year and they stole alot of things. And its going on a year and still we haven't heard anything from the police. They even got fingerprints but that wouldn't help if they weren't on file. we did have a person call and say that they bought one of the things that was stolen. We told the police and they wouldn't even check it out. I hope the police there are better than here

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

If it's not the economy- then why the sudden increase in burglaries?

You weren't reading. The comment was that burglars are more gutsy because of the economy and that isn't true. Burglaries have been going on in broad daylight for decades, and the audacity of them is nothing new. The battery and movie ticket trick is not a new one. Burglars scour the obits and clean out houses while the loved one is in state or while the family is at the funeral. Burglars dressed as repairmen or movers have been known to clean out entire houses, in broad daylight, with no one raising any suspicion. They watch their targets, the follow patterns, they know what time your automatic timers turn lights on and off, they know about your life than you do, and they take advantage of that knowledge.

I would also be skeptical of a news reporter claiming burglaries are up"...because of the economy." I'd be more inclined to believe reports of burglaries are up because reporters are looking for something to get on the air with.

 

[Yakmama]

nevermind- I don't want any drama

 

[Yakmama]

nevermind- I don't want any drama

 

[wadesgirl]

Newsflash - the economy has nothing to do with how gutsy the burglars are. They have always been this gutsy - you've just not paid attention before.

One thing that you might be able to link to the economy is that counterfeiting is on the rise. With color copiers being so readily available, it's just too tempting for some. I just don't know where they're getting the paper that passes for real paper. I know I will never accept a $50 or $100 bill from anyone other than a bank teller.

I went to a local mall to pick up some gift cards, they weren't accepting cash for gift card purchases. You never hear of people not accepting cash but apparently there were sister companies who were dealing with counterfeiters lately.

 

[chefann]

I would also be skeptical of a news reporter claiming burglaries are up"...because of the economy." I'd be more inclined to believe reports of burglaries are up because reporters are looking for something to get on the air with.

That's absolutely the case. I don't have specific links, but another site I frequent has a member who is the unofficial debunker of crime impressions. That site is about child abuse, pedophiles, etc. Someone always comments on how things are so much less safe than they were 30 (or 40 or 50, etc.) years ago. The crime stats don't support that theory. It just seems that there are more of those crimes because they're broadcast in the media more than they were decades ago.

- - -

In related warnings, if you received any high-end items over the holidays (or ever, for that matter), cut up and disguise the boxes when you throw them out. Thieves look for boxes in the trash that indicate goodies in the house: TVs, computers, game systems, etc. It's best to cut the box into 12" squares and tie them into a bundle with twine, with the printed side facing the inside of the bundle.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Or put them out at the end of the driveway of that neighbor you don't like very much.

 

[ivykeep]

Our tvs are all either really old or super heavy (I bought it used from my sisters boyfriend and it took 3 big guys to get it on the stand. DH told me I better be sure where I wanted it) so anyone trying to steal ours would end up with a hernia. The are WELCOME to take any of the clutter -- nothing of any real value here. Sentimental crap, but if someone wants to steal photos of my daughter I can get them replaced.

I usually do keep the laptop out of sight though.

The CSI discussion reminds me -- a couple of years ago some friends and I had dinner in Little Italy in Baltimore. When we walked one of the friends back to her car (she'd parked on the street, while the rest of us parked in lot and paid) we discovered her window had been smashed and her radio stolen. We called the cops without touching the car and the officer took a report. My friend asked if she could touch the car (or were they going to check for prints). The officer laughed and said to go ahead 'this ain't no CSI' and then told us about someone on her patrol that kept leaving bags of poop on an unfriendly man's porch and how he wanted them to do DNA testing on it and then take DNA samples of all the "punk kids" in the neighborhood.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

A couple of years ago, I started a thread here about protecting yourself. It was based on the advice of J.J. Bittenbinder, a retired 23 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, a homicide detective and now, an author and speaker who talks about personal safety.

"The bad guy doesn't walk down the street and say 'that's the toughest house on this block, I think I am going to try that one'. No! He looks for the weak one, the one with the open door, the broken window, the one without the home security system."

--J.J. Bittenbinder​

You can find the thread here.

 

[chefann]

Or put them out at the end of the driveway of that neighbor you don't like very much.

*giggle*
It's pretty sad that I had that exact thought when the news was running the box story this evening.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Or you can just burn the boxes like we do - if law allows where you are! Theives would not be happy w/our house because our TV's are all 15 years old or above. My husband and I were just saying the other day how we still have the first TV we bought when we got married 21 years ago! It is stero and was cable ready - very high tech. for the time!

One time when I was a teenager I was home sick with the flu. The door bell rang but I didn't answer it - I was still in my pj's!! Anyway I started hearing noise like a drill!! I think they were going to cut open our front door, and we lived on a VERY busy street! Anyway I started making noise and they left! Really scary!!

My in-laws were robbed about 13 years ago. We all were out of town for a Billy Joel/Elton John concert. My SIL at the time worked for a troubled youth group home and could not get off work to go. I'm sure someone in the home heard her trying to get off work and knew my in-laws would not be home because she probably said, "I'm the only one from the family who can't go." They stole everything from them!! All TV's, camcorders, video recorder, jewelry (antique that was my husband's great Grandmother's), coins, etc. They left a cooler behind - must have not had enough room in the car! My FIL kept it and used it (LOL)!! They did feel very violated and actually ended up moving a short time later. Very sad! I remember the date because my MIL called us in the morning to tell us about it and I said, "April fools!" She said, "No, it's not - I forgot it was April fools day." Luckily my sister was at our house babysitting. We also don't publish our address in the phone book.

I did see an article on the news about packages being stolen from door steps and how that crime was up this year. I think a lot more people are ordering though so maybe the percentage isn't really up.

It's really sad people think they can just take others things that they work so hard for! It makes me sick!

 

[raebates]

Daylight robberies are much more common than nighttime robberies because fewer people are home during the day. Since The Furry Guy and I tend to work different hours, there's usually someone here. Add to that the facts that there are several pieces to the heating/filter system and the tub itself is steel. Our hot tub should be safe.

 

[Stampaholic1961]

One of my friend's had her house broken into. They stole a bunch of jewelry...one item was a ring that had belonged to her mother (who is deceased). They stole all her medication & her laptop computer among other things. They totally ransacked her house because they found ammo & were trying to find the guns that matched the ammo. The police think that the thieves have a refrigerated truck to make it look like they are selling meat. They knock on the door & if no one answers they break in & steal whatever they can. The day they broke into her house, she had just left. If they had come 15-20 minutes earlier, they would have broken in while she was in the shower.Her son had some guy knock on his door. When he answered, the guy said that he was with a home repair company & that his boss was going to be in the area the next day & did he have any work for them. It sounded like a scam to me....another way to case the house.It's just terrible that people want to take things that people have worked hard for. It irritates me to no end that people are like that! No one would ever break into our house! It's the worst one on the block. No one would think that there was anything worth stealing inside!

 

[raebates]

The officers told my brother to report to them if anyone comes to the door asking to shovel snow, clear away branches, etc. Evidently these are ploys that some are using to case homes and cover their activities.