My house was robbed.....

[357wheelgunner]

Background info: I have been out of town during the week on business, home on weekends. I have a 20 year old wife and a 2 year old daughter.

So a week ago on Friday during the day while my wife was at work a man broke into our garage and made it into our house. He was frightened by the radio shack alarms on our doors and ran off after setting one off. The neighbor called the police, who said they'd keep an eye on the house, nothing was stolen.

Last week Sunday night at about 2AM my wife called me. She heard noises down in the garage, called the police who then scared the thief away, not able to catch him. He was unable to get into the house. I had my wife take all my guns to the local gunshop owned by a friend for safe storage, as I don't have a gun safe yet (in the process of buying one now).

The next day when my wife was at work and my daughter in daycare, the thief returned. He kicked the garage door off it's track and got into the garage. He did not even try to enter the house, probably due to his previous experience with my el-cheapo alarm system. He stole my 13" TV, and some baby appliances (electric swing, rocker, stuff like that). Pissed me off bigtime but my family was OK and no weapons were stolen.

The next night a man down the road had confronted the thief, unarmed, and was stabbed. The police caught the piece of crap and he is going to jail for the rest of his life due to some previous legal issues. I could not get any more details from the policeman, I think he had said too much as it was.

My wife was living with her Mom for the week, but now that the guy was caught she is back home. Our area has been extremely crime free 'til now. My wife now wears her Glock 19 all the time when she is at home (she does not have her carry permit yet, working on it) and I carry my 4" model 66 religously, as always.

Kinda got me thinking....Had I been there when the guy tried to get in at 2AM, 870Police in hand, the thief might not have lived to stab the poor neighbor. I guess God did not have that in his plan? I don't know, but it sure made me think.....

 

[Alex45ACP]

He broke in 4 times in a row?

 

[kal]

Hell, after the first break in, I would've waited until he came back so I can let god sort his body parts out.

 

[P95Carry]

If the same guy then that is what I call (pig-headed) determination.

Pity indeed someone had to get stabbed for being ''in the way'' on one of his other excursions - and UNARMED!!!

So - pretty crime free area previously. This just proves my point that carry should constant (even in the home). First - you do NOT know when something is gonna go down and second, if it does - what use is it to have an empty holster or nothing at all?

Either - don't bother to be armed at all - or do it and do it properly.

Glad you did not suffer any physical harm, or wife and kid. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth tho eh?! Glad you both choose to carry!

 

[JohnKSa]

He broke in 4 times in a row?

Not terribly unusual. Once they're confident that they won't be caught, they'll often keep coming back. Got to remember that a lot of the time this is about feeding a habit, not a career choice. When the need gets to poking them, they start looking for a mark and someplace that's worked before is going to be hard to resist.

An area man killed one burglar (this story is about burglary, not robbery, BTW) and paralyzed another after they returned one time too many.

They had been burglarizing his house repeatedly while he was at work and the police weren't responding to the alarm quickly enough to catch them. He set the alarm up to call his pager instead and he caught them the next time.

He pulled up as they were leaving with a vehicle loaded with his stuff. He unlimbered his deer rifle and shot them both as they were driving away. One in the head, the other in the neck. TX law being what it was, he wasn't prosecuted.

 

[Bob F.]

P95Carry: Glad all's safe and your not facing a mess.

About a week ago wife & I were watching TV in seperate rooms. I asked if the siren was on TV? What siren? Went to the porch and heard siren to south on main rd. At first thought "low speed chase" usually a DUI or diabetic. Finally decided it wasn't moving. Put my shoes on G19 IWB and 870 cruiser ready in truck. Nearest neighbor 200 ydsSouth has an alarm system, wasn't her house or next another 50 yds nor Cyrus' another 100yds. Turned out it was his son's house yetr another 50 yds. Yeah, I live in the country.
Cyrus (80+ yr old farmer) was walking up driveway w/ hand inside shirt, son & family weren't home. House had been broken into 3 times. Checked but everything OK. Ist attempted B&E since alarm installed 1.5 yrs ago.

Couple days later SWMBO hollered 1030 PM: "Somebody's backing a truck w/ trailer into Nora's drive". Her place is across the highway from us. Now Nora's been out west for months for cancer treatment. Called her sis how lives next to her but further into the woods away from my place. "Expecting company?" "Nope", "I'll check it out and callyou back". G19, 870 went for a ride again, Great lights on my PU! Found a big Ford PU backed clear to the end of the drive, nobody around. Called 911, "Something fishy, how about rolling a unit this way?" Got out and eased into the woods chambering a 00 TAP. Cell rang, sis said it was grandson unannounced, to pick up some stuff. Called 911"cancel the troop, all clear".

All well that ends well! Not great tactics, but trust my gut. Besides:SWMBO was covering my flank on foot thru the pines!!

 

[crucible]

357, I'm glad you and yours are okay, and I'm glad that maggot is off the streets.

Bob, thanks for caring enough to help your neighbors in that way; that's entirely too rare these days.

I need to move the country.

Chris

 

[22-rimfire]

I had someone break into my house about 20 years ago at 3:00 AM while I was asleep. Dogs ran the somebody off, but they stole some camera equipment. They actually had a key (I think)..... I had lost a set of keys about 6 months prior..... in hindsight, I probably left them lying in the garage on my work bench and they were picked up. The guy had been casing the house for some time.... as he knew precisely what he wanted and where it was.

To this day, I never go to bed without checking the doors as that night I could not absolutely swear that I had locked the back door. And I always keep a loaded gun handy.

I'm glad things worked out okay for you. You will never feel the same at home (ie. safe). That is the bad part. I also had my truck broken into and robbed in my driveway.... lost a lot of stuff$$ guns, jewelry etc. I had just gotten back from a trip and didn't unpack. Never park outside in the driveway anymore.

 

[bigun15]

How is your neighbor doing after the stab? Is he all right?

 

[rhubarb]

He unlimbered his deer rifle and shot them both as they were driving away. TX law being what it was, he wasn't prosecuted.

Cuts down on the recidivism rate is what it does.

Betcha if Mr. 357 had been home that first night, there wouldn't have been no return trips.