My Home Was Burglarized

[dc.fireman]

It's a little scary because the person had to be a pretty big guy. The storm door was pried open, but the front door was physically kicked in. There were no pry marks around the door. The piece of trim around the door was knocked completely out of the wall, all the way down the hall, and almost to the kitchen. The officers said whoever did it put a lot of force to it. I'm 6' 1" and 225lbs and I doubt I could have done that, much less some teenager.

Unfortunately, as someone who makes a living breaking down doors, and getting into tight places with astonishing regularity, that isn't exactly true.

It only takes a little knowing where to kick, and which end of the wonder bar to pry with, to get anyone into a residential door in about 30 seconds.

The good news is, that knowing people who've had guns stolen before, most of them were recovered, not all, but most. Hopefully, yours will be as well.
Good Luck!

-tc

 

[Olympus]

I called the area pawn shops to tell them to keep an eye out. The owner I talked to said that the city pawn shops are heavily regulated and must run a gun's S/N through the police department before they can even buy or trade a gun. So I spent time calling all the metro area gun shops. None of them showed any interest in what I was saying and almost all of them sounded offended that I would suggest that they would accept a stolen gun. But that wasn't the point. The point was for them to keep an eye for someone trying to sell or trade my gun. I don't have high hopes that the gun will be recovered. I followed up with the police department since the gun was snapped into a holster they could dust it for prints. They said there wasn't much of a chance of that to happen. They don't have any interest in trying to help either.

 

[figment]

They don't have any interest in trying to help either.

from your perspective, it's a big deal. Not theirs however. :banghead:

 

[Al Thompson]

Cruise the local flea markets (aka jockey lots) for gun sellers and buyers.

 

[xXxplosive]

Ahhhhh.......not to frighten you but if your dog is anything like ours (Male German Shepard) IMO, no one is comming in there on a random basis.....he was definately caseing your home to make sure the dog wasn't there. Burglars don't like dogs.....noisy ones or really big ones with large teeth.

Also, worst scenario.................an armed burglar.

 

[jbrown50]

My wife and I went out of town to have an early Christmas with our families.

At least one of your family members was looking forward to your trip as well.

 

[Encoreman]

Sorry bout your loss. Nothing much worse than a thief. Probably all of us have not secured our castles as well as we should. We should all take this as a lesson, beef up security, you can get riders on your homeowners insurance for your guns, jewelry etc. cost is nominal. I think the perp may return, while we are all out working all day, jerks like this are breaking into somebody's home stealing stuff. Good neighbors are hard to find and worth their weight in gold.

 

[czarjl]

Sorry for your loss, in both property and more importantly the feeling of security in your own home.

I have an awful feeling this may not be the end of your problems (I really hope I’m wrong). Please take the appropriate steps to re-secure your home. This will make it harder (and hopefully stop) any future attempts and start you back on the way to feeling more secure in your own home.

… None of them showed any interest in what I was saying and almost all of them sounded offended that I would suggest that they would accept a stolen gun. …

As far as calling the Pawn / Gun shops, you may consider calling them again and offering a reward for the recovery of the pistol, this may help them become more interested. I know it’s not fun to have to pay to get your stuff back, but if it has enough sentimental value the price may be worth it to you.

I wish you the best, and hope you will be back into your business soon (maybe using a PO box or a FedEx / UPS mailbox)

 

[heeler]

First let me say I am sorry for your loss and since I have had this very thing happen to my own home three times I know what you are feeling.
Now imho the fact the guy(s) used a brute force attack to get the front door open smells highly of an opportunistic burglar who realized no one was home.
It stands to reason if it was a calculated hit on your place by someone you knew they would also know if a witness saw them their description would make you realize who they were.
So if it was that kind of person I would think they would strike at night and try a more subtle entry at the back part of the house.
Something very well may have scared them off as they did not ransack the house but as most thieves do they headed straight for the master bedroom where things suchs a defensive handgun,jewelery,money such as loose change or a few dollar bills are sitting on top of a dresser drawer etc.
And as has happened in my instances of home burglary over a period of days the list of stolen goods that belonged to me increased as I discovered more items missing just as the the discovery of your wifes Coach purse that was found to be missing.
Get an alarm or bar up the house and get a premium gun safe.
It just makes sense to me your house was just the "place" of opportunity for a damn criminal.

 

[Olympus]

We have a very large and very loud, aggressive sounding Great Pyranees dog that stays inside during the day. Most people are scared to death of him. So I'm sure that noticing that our dog wasn't home was the biggest sign that nobody would be inside for any length of time. Hopefully now that he's back home, that will deter any future problems. And hopefully the perp wouldn't try breaking in during the middle of the day. So now I've replaced my beloved 66 with a Mossberg 835 with buckshot. No big loss if that gets stolen and if they break in again while we're home, they'll get a taste of that.

It's funny, because I was just talking to my old man about getting a rider on my insurance for my gun collection. He said he had one on his collection for probably 25 years and then realized that he could put that extra cost to insurance toward a nice fire-rated safe. So now he's got practically a vault in his basement and he dropped the rider. Starting right now, my gun fund has officially been reallocated to a safe fund. And maybe I've just never noticed it, but you always see people talking about CCW situations and saying not to carry a gun that you wouldn't want to end up in a police evidence locker. But I've never seen anyone apply the same logic to your nightstand gun. So right now, my biggest recommendation for "strategies and tactics" would be not to use a relatively uncommon or high value (monetary or sentimental value) as your nightstand gun.

And I'm about 99% certain that the theft wasn't involving a family member. We live 5 hours away from the closest relative and on my wife's side of the family there's really nobody else interested in guns except me and her father. So the chance that a family member was involved in really, really slim.

 

[cavman]

nearby kids?

My front door was kicked in about four years ago and a bunch of little (though with some value) things were picked up during what was obviously a quick sweep. The guy (caught) was a habitual small timer from four or five miles across the way.

Also, there was an arrest a few months ago of a burglar who was believed to have done 30-50 home invasions into a couple of counties bordering Wash. DC.

My point is that in my personal situation, it was a "randomly" chosen house, and as also the burglar who was a serial thief appears to have done so with his targets. Granted, there may have been something that looked more appealing to them about their target compared to the suburb house sitting right next door, but my guess is that unless a house looks particularly tough, if I was a thief they would all look pretty easy targets.

 

[Geno]

Back when I was a high school principal, our house was broken into, and a good amount of things stolen: computers, computer games. Oh yeah...and a half-full bottle of Boodles as well as a half-full bottle of Tanqueray. Well, even an "ijit:" knows that when booze is stolen, especially half-bottles, you done got kids doin' the stealin'.

Now me being half-intelligent, I returned to my high school principal office and fired-up the computer. I cross-referenced three databases: attendance, driving permits and discipline. About 12 students were absent that day/time. About 8 or so had driving permits. Exactly 3 had all three: absence, a permit to drive and recent discipline. I knew that one would almost certainly would not have done this. I knew the other two just might.

Well, I knew what their tire tracks looked like, and I knew what their shoe prints looked like. So, next day, I stood in the dirt parking lot and waited for the two "gentlemen" to return to school. Durned if the tire tracks weren't identical. I waited for the to step outta their ride, and durned if their shoe prints (both) didn't match.

I detained both in my office, made a photocopy of their shoe soles, and held them for the police. I had the car impounded for trespass and requested that the police (as a safety measure for themselves) conduct an "inventory search". As soon as the police popped the trunk, they found half-full bottle of booze...the kids were 17. Now it weren't my booze, it was booze stolen from their place of employment. The police immediately close the car and got a warrant.

Now, I never got my items back, but thank goodness it was insured...as I recall about $8,000.00 of items. This was in 1991, so that was some serious coin! They did try to steal the vault...couldn't. My point, it helps to know the day/time they broke in. Schools and other institutions create a daily supply of what we call "institutional memory". When you know the day and time of the event, you can begin a process of elimination.

Observations & Suggestions:

Who the Hades leaves a handgun out where it can be seen, let a lone stolen. I know, I had left my own M94 Winchester .30-30 when my house was broken into. Get the danged thing locked-up! Get rid of the glass vault and get yourself a real vault. They are not that expensive. Get yourself a small security system. There are some good and inexpensive ones available.

Sorry for your loss, but glad nobody was injured. Guns can be replaced, but lives can't!

Geno

 

[Yo Mama]

It's a natural response to feel targeted. Why did this happen to me, and who did it? It can drive you nuts, so relax, you were robbed which sucks.

First, get an alarm. Have it monitored. You're not looking at much investment, and you may get a discount on your homeowners to make up for the monthly cost.

Second, neighbors. Let them know what happened. Block watch was the most effective deturant in my neighborhood, and I have been called before when unknown people were on my property. If you really trust them, let them know when you're going to be gone, and let them know no one is to be at your home.

Third, light up the place. Both inside and outside. Get timers for 5 bucks you'll get 2, and have music or television turn on. Outside motion lights cost a bit more, but worth it.

Hope this helps, we had to prioritize but made it a project to constently improve on the security of our home. I'd like cameras, but they are only good after the fact.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Makes me think that other items I'm not thinking about could be gone.

I would imagine that it's pretty common to over time, find more things that are missing in a situation like this. After all, you don't put your hands on all of your belongings every day.

We were the victims of a burglary recently as well, but thank God it wasn't a home. My brothers shop got broken into and all our reloading equipment was stolen. They walked right past Ping golf clubs, weed trimmers, drills, a pressure washer, tons of stuff like that. All they took was the reloading equipment. Totally wiped us out. Insurance is going to pay for it, but it still sucks!

I know that doesn't compare with someone breaking into your home, I'm not saying it even comes close. I do feel your frustration however of having a worthless sack of #?*! steal what's yours.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Olympus
My Home Was Burglarized

Very sorry to hear this. It's a horrible feeling, I know 'cause I've had my home burglarized twice in the past.

Most burglars aren't brazen enough to kick in a door. Kicking in the door causes a lot of noise. They usually jimmi the door, (quietly) break a window, or get in another way. If they get in another way, the first thing they do is open a door so that their exit is planned. BTW, was there a shoe print left on the door? If yes, you can have the shoe/boot identified easily.

From what you've described throughout your posts, it sounds like an inside job. Unless you've told people that you keep your S&W 66 on your bedpost, it is likely that it was someone who has been in your bedroom in the past.Who knew you were on a trip? Who did you tell?

If it was a typical burglar and they ran up to the bedroom first, why stop at the gun? I would say to myself, "hey - if they have one gun, they must have another elsewhere or they must have other valuables". Like someone already said, the Coach purse was likely used to stow the gun on the way out.

It's unlikely that it was one of your customers. They may know you make grips but they wouldn't know the exact path to get to your 66.

 

[Olympus]

Who the Hades leaves a handgun out where it can be seen, let a lone stolen.

I always have in regards to my nightstand gun. I'm of the opinion that when I'm woken up from a dead sleep with someone breaking into my house, I want my gun within quick reach. I don't want to fumble in the dark with finding draw handles to open or rummaging around in a drawer in the dark to find the gun, or even to use one of those fingerprint scanner single gun lockboxes. I want my gun right out on the nightstand within quick grasp. We have no children and no children are even in our home. That's why the gun was out where it could be seen. And as someone said, most burglars go straight to the master bedroom.

Third, light up the place. Both inside and outside. Get timers for 5 bucks you'll get 2, and have music or television turn on. Outside motion lights cost a bit more, but worth it.

We had all of that covered except for the timers. We have motion sensor lights on both front corners of our house and we leave the porch light on. But the perp kicked the door in while standing right underneath the porch light when it was on.

BTW, was there a shoe print left on the door?

Yes and no. There looks to be about three kick marks on the door. The problem is that the shoe slid down the door about 6 or 8 inches leaving just streaks and no actual tread pattern.

 

[Geno]

I agree, and I too sleep with my Glock 17 (loaded with 33 rounds) and my Remington 870 (8 rounds) beside my bed each night. But, those two weapons get locked up during the day, and/or when I am away. During the day, or when I am out of the house, I carry my G26 and G19C. The only thing worse than facing someone else's gun when you walk into your own home, is to face someone else holding your own gun.

Geno

 

[BCC]

Great, another gun on the street. Flat out wrong.

 

[Onward Allusion]

BCC

Great, another gun on the street. Flat out wrong.

Yes, it is flat out wrong - on the part of the criminals who kicked the man's door down and burglarized his home, that is. If this was a less civilized society, the perps, if caught would probably face death or an extended stay in some hole.

 

[uspJ]

Hate if for you man. I agree there is little hope of getting your gun back ( I hope you do get it back). Guns are one of those street commodities that are very easy to turn and they don't have to deal with pawn shops and the like to get the merchandise off their hands. The burglar could sell it face to face to a law abiding person and never know the gun was stolen. He could also sell it to a fellow criminal, keep it for his own use etc.

I have a small gun safe and one gun chest. The gun chest looks like a coffe table with a flip top lid. I put a table cloth over it and a tv along with a few odds and ends and it looks just like another peice of furniture. I'm saving for a larger gunsafe and will move all of them to it when I get it but until then it has worked for me. It is also a choice to consider if your on a budget.

 

[Ryder]

Possible this person was being chased by a gang. I've been chased like that a couple times. I always sought shelter immediately. When you are desperate to save your life property laws become meaningless. Such a person may or may not pound on your door to ask for help, but in either case they are very likely to break through without much hesitation. When fleeing a known threat unknown threats don't count for anything.

Such a person would have no interest in stealing your other valuables. Their only priority is to defend their life. Finding a loaded gun in a shoulder holster fits the bill perfectly. Once the coast was clear he got out of there taking the gun for protection because the bad guys would still be looking for him.

Wouldn't surprise too much me if the gun was returned to you in the near future. Maybe even with a note and some cash to fix the front door. Though I wouldn't count on it given current standards of morality.

 

[Olympus]

I don't think it was gang-related. We live a long ways outside the city limits in a section of the metro area that is pretty quiet. It's middle to upper-middle class neighborhoods. We live in an older neighborhood where minorities tend to stick out. My neighborhood isn't particularly diverse and I don't think I can even think of a time in the last year when I've seen someone that I would consider worthy of a second glance..

I'm hoping that it was someone who probably knew we were out of town and took advantage of the Christmas season. Luckily, my wife doesn't keep presents under the Christmas tree. So the perp might have been looking to score quick Christmas presents and when he didn't see any under our tree, made due with a couple other items in open view. It makes me think the person wasn't an experience burlglar since nothing else was disturbed, opened, dumped out, etc.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Such a person would have no interest in stealing your other valuables. Their only priority is to defend their life.

Right.
That Coach handbag probably provided him with protection and security. That's what it was.

 

[therewolf]

Our house was robbed by professionals many years ago.

They were so slick, we didn't even know they'd been there for a few days,

till I went to play with my grandfather's gold watch and couldn't find it.

They didn't disturb a thing. They left all the costume jewelry, just took the good

stuff.

They jimmied a side door with minimal damage,took what they were there for,

and left the way they got in.

Point is, if they trash the joint, you know right away, but if they just take what they're there for, it could be a week or two before you even know you were hit.

 

[Olympus]

Definitely not professionals that hit my house. Pried open the storm door frame because it was deadbolted and propped it open using a flower pot. Kicked in the front door that was light up by the porch light. They left the storm door still propped open with the flower pot. A neighbor said she drove by and noticed it was open and figured it hadn't got shut and the wind blew it open. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was bad news because we kept it deadbolted. This person wasn't worried about being slick.