Suspicious Vehicle

[mmike87]

My wife called me at work yesterday. She said that there was a van parked in front of our house, for the better part of an hour. There was a man, late 30's early 40's sitting in the van reading a newspaper and watching the neighborhood kids ride their bikes.

This is unusual. We've never seen this van before. At first she thought it may be a friend of the neighbors, but when their young girl left the house she walked right by his van, indicating to me that she didn't know him and that they were indeed home. Thus, he's not a friend of theirs waiting for them to come home.

Eventually the van left when the last school bus of the day came by. It drove around the neighborhood a couple of times, at one point appearing to follow the bus.

My 7 years olds friend said he was positive that he saw the same van the previous day as well. Over at his end of the street.

I told my wife to make sure she got the license number. The van was missing a front plate (illegal in Virginia) and she thought she could not discretely get the number from where she was standing. So, no plate number. I was not happy about this, but what can you do?

She called the police and the guy was gone when they got there. They took down the report. Not sure what they do with the information.

So, are we over-reacting or is this van, with a kid watching man in it with a missing front plate warrant some suspicion? There could be an innocent explanation - but I could not think of one.

 

[Bezoar]

since he seems to be watching kids on your street, possibly following the bus a few things come to mind here, good suppositions but not legally bindind.

he could be a pervert looking for an abductee,
could be one of those private investigators that specialize in tracking down wayward children
could be a member of those feminist organizations that claim to help women and children disapear for good to "escape" from the "bad husband".

 

[thegriz]

I wouldn't have been discreet but I could see my wife being timid about walking out to get the plate number. I make of point of "meeting" any strangers loitering around my house. It's better to know what they are up to than to worry about what it might be. Usually it's innocent enough. I try to be polite but direct.

I have the luxury of working within 5 minutes of my home. I would have driven home for a visit in a case like this. There have been a couple of interesting characters. Once, it was a new salesman trying to get up his nerve to go knock on his first door of the day.

 

[pax]

When we had a similar situation around here a few years back, we pulled together all the kids in the neighborhood and taught them what to do if.

pax

 

[Kentak]

Or a school transportation supervisor evaluating bus drivers or bus routes.

 

[tinygnat219]

Doubtful that it's a supervisor watching traffic. Those vehicles in VA typically have "Local Government" license plates with some kind of county/town logo on the side.

It's possible this guy's a sex predator. If you have the license plate, see if the police can run it and match it against the Sex Offender registry. If he's a registered sex offender, it's a good chance he's looking for his next target of opportunity.

It could also be a burglar casing the street, finding out who's home, who isn't, etc.

Reporting it to the cops never hurts.

 

[hankpac]

simple fix. Two people walk up to the back of the van, and get the license number, or even stand right there and take photos of the rig from several spots. The guy will leave, but you will have documentation of who he is and what he is driving.
I'm a confrontational type, so wouldn't hesitate to let him see me taking his photo. Even if it scares him off to another area, the cops now have a photo of the van, the plate number, and if you are pretty good, a photo of his face.
If you are afraid to do it that way, shoot the photos from a distance. If you don't know your neighbors this is the time to get to know them. Do it now.

 

[arjppj]

Tell you wife to go outside and wipe down some of your shotguns, they cycle the action to make sure they work...that should take care of it.

 

[Shovelhead]

Similar situation a couple of weeks ago.

Looked outside as I was heading for bed and saw an unfamiliar van parked in front of my house.
I saw a strange looking shadow in the driver's side seat.
I went out to investigate and saw the shadow was a video camera on a tripod sitting in the driver seat, covered with a jacket and aimed at my neighbor's house across the street.
Pretty cheezy-looking, kind of a Radio Shack looking setup, NOT a LEO rig, (I've seen those in my regular job)
Nobody around, so I wrote down the tag number and called the local PD non-emergency number.
They sent two officers to investigate and checked the tag & registration, and put a ticket on it as there was "Something not quite kosher" about the registration according to them.
At least they now have a report on the incident in case something else comes of it.
The van sat there for 24 hours and disappeared the next night.

Keep your eyes open.
If it doesn't look right, investigate, or contact the PD....that's what they're paid for.
I hope it works out OK.

 

[Devonai]

I tried my hand at working for a private investigation company a few years ago. While this guy doesn't sound like he was a PI, I hope everyone reading this thread considers the possibility that the suspicious-looking vehicle with the shady character inside might be a PI.

If so, do not hesitate to call the cops. When we knew we were going to be in town for more than a few minutes, we would register with the local police department and indicate where we thought we were going to be and for how long. However, an active snoop sometimes led us to camping out in an area for a long time without contacting the cops. If confronted by a local resident, we would immediately identify ourselves as PIs and offer whatever assurance the individual needed.

Interestingly enough, I only got arguments from residents (I don't want you on my street, go away, profanities, etc.) at times when I was registered with the cops. I didn't appreciate having to argue with these people when a single call to the cops would confirm my story.

Two people walk up to the back of the van, and get the license number, or even stand right there and take photos of the rig from several spots.

Great, thanks. While we never parked right in front of a subject's residence, we had to be within line of sight, which means you might blow our cover.

Tell you wife to go outside and wipe down some of your shotguns, they cycle the action to make sure they work...that should take care of it.

It will also guarantee that you will get a visit from the cops.

 

[TallPine]

My wife called me at work yesterday. She said that there was a van parked in front of our house, for the better part of an hour. There was a man, late 30's early 40's sitting in the van reading a newspaper and watching the neighborhood kids ride their bikes.

She probably should have called the police first, and then call you - unless you live and work in an area where you could get there faster than the cops.

Myself, I would have walked out there (armed, of course) and politely asked the guy if he needed help or something. But then we don't live in town anymore, so anyone remotely parked "in front of our house" would be definitely trespassing on our property.

I've actually done this a few times ... once a pickup and horse trailer parked near our corral almost but not quite out of sight of our house. I jumped in my pickup and went screaming over there to see what they were doing. Turns out they were helping a neighbor move (the trailer was full of stuff, no room for horses) and waiting for another vehicle to catch up to them.

 

[Big Calhoun]

I think you guys acted most appropriately given the circumstances given. Not knowing your neighborhood or community, from your story, my hunch tells me that dude was up to no good.

Personally, I'd say in this situation, there was no need for discretion. Your wife or yourself should have just plain as day walked behind the van and jotted down the license plate number. It's a public street, right? If he has an issue, you simply make up an excuse that you've had a lot of break ins in the nieghborhood and everyone is trying to keep track of who all is coming and going.

 

[FieroCDSP]

Is there a postal box, or other item of neighborhood interest on that side of the street? If so, get an empty envelope (or other associated thing) and take a walk when you see the van. It's not too hard to get a plate as you cross the street behind the van. You simply look both ways. Make sure you're within your reading distance. If I noticed this kind of thing going on in my neighborhood, I'd call the cops. He's lacking a front plate, so that's probable cause for a stop.
As far as cleaning weapons on the front porch...my friend and I cleaned the cosmoline off our SKS rifles on the front porch, in the evening with the porch light on, facing a busy street. What are the cops going to do, ask us to go inside?
In most states and cities, there's no law against sitting on your front porch with a loaded gun, so long as you're not pointing it at people. You're maintaining a firearm on your own property, not using it in a threatening manner, so there's no law broken. Cycling the action on an empty gun can be considered a threat to someone only if you look right at them with an obvious threatening look. Other than that, you're just cleaning your gun, right? Besides, the cops show up, ask what's up, you tell them to keep an eye on the guy in the van cause he's been watching the kiddies, and more than likely, they'll say they'll handle it and ask you to be careful with the gun.

This all depends on whether your state/city is run by the commies or not, of course.

 

[frostbiker]

Walk to a neighbor's house where you have the advantage of viewing said 'suspicious person' and talk with them.

Isn't Virginia an open carry state? If your wife was comfortable doing so, strap one on and do as above, or go to the mailbox if applicable, or take the dog for a walk.

We had an instance where some guy parked his car across the street from my parent's house after they bought it. He was snapping pictures and writing notes on a notepad. I was out doing yardwork when mom spotted what he was doing and I managed to block him from getting off our street until the cops showed up (we live on a cul-de-sac). Turns out he was just a realtor trying to get some comps for a client of his. If he wasn't acting so sneaky, I wouldn't have had a problem.

 

[glockman19]

Across the street from my house there have been 2 armed confrontations in the past year once was a gardener who was accosted at gun point and robbed of his truck and gardeneng tools, the other was another gardener who had the same problem. There is a big shade tree where people stop and eat their lunch from the fast food place down the street. I have on several occasions gone out and warned people of the car jackings at gunpoint. I even went out with chalk and made a few circles and spilled some rite red dye. and told them someone was killed here for just sitting and eating their lunch they see what looked like blood stains and chalk outlines of bullet casings and always leave.

I also witnessed a drug deal ging down last week as a black cougar pulled up and sat in the sun in front of a house that has been vacant for over a year. He talked on the phone for nearly 20 min until another vehicle pulled up an a guy got out walked over exchanged someting with the guy and both drove away.

Point...You can never be to vigilant or interested in who is comming and going from your neighborhood. Take pictures, Get license plate numbers and if you have the nerve, walk up to the van, car and tell the occupant, "hi i'm with neighborhood watch and we've had som problems with burglaries, drug dealings and criminal activity in the neighborhood and just wanted to let you know we're under survelience by the local police/sheriff's department and there's a good chance they have had their picture and license plate taken."

Don't be afrais to ask if they are visiting someone in the neighborhood or wht their business is. Just the knoweledge that neighbors are looking out for one anohter is enough to cause undesireables to look for other, "soft targets".

I have also begun a neighborhood news letter I send out monthly with a P.O. Box & e-amil address where neighbors can share events, and concerns.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Originally posted by mmike87:
So, are we over-reacting or is this van, with a kid watching man in it with a missing front plate warrant some suspicion?

To report it to the police is most certainly not an overreaction.

 

[mmike87]

Thanks for all the replies.

Next time I am sure she'll get the plate.

As tempting as a discrete "show of force" is, I am hesitant to overtly do so. Certainly, cleaning guns on the front porch is totally legal. As is open carrying to an from the mailbox in plain sight of the person.

But I admit, putting the fear into said person IS tempting ... but these days you have to be careful. I'd hate to have a brandishing charge to defend against.

 

[1BLINDREF]

+1 for taking pictures. I would have walked out in plain view with a camera and taken a picture of him and the back of the van for the license plate.

 

[Jeff White]

What is wrong with simply calling the police and reporting a suspicious vehicle and letting them check it out? No need for anyone to start a confrontation or think up a wild scheme to run him out of the neighborhood.

This could be anything from a child sex offender to a PI, to a parent checking up on a school bus driver, to a lookout for a burglary ring. Call the police, let them check it out. Answering some questions for the uniformed officers usually is enough to let someone who shouldn't be in a neighborhood know it's time to move on. Around here the PIs usually stop in and tell us what street they are going to be on and what they are driving so we know it's them when a complaint comes in. Workman's comp and disability fraud is the usual type of case the PIs around here get.

Jeff

 

[kungfuhippie]

We had a guy doing this in our town according to a LEO friend. He wasn't a sex-pervert, he was a home invasion crook. He was looking for the latch-key kids, they are such easy targets...
Before he ever picked a place/traumatized a kid, enough soccer moms had called the cops to report him and the cops handled it. Aparently he was on parole, did time for buglary, and his stationwagon wasn't his.

 

[Joe Demko]

Call the cops. That's why they have a telephone.

 

[mmike87]

I agree calling the cops is the single best course of action. I think she called me because I normally tell here she over reacts to things. This was not such a case.

I'd feel bad if the guy was NOT up to no good - but I think he'd have to admit that even if that was the case that his actions certainly warranted scrutiny.

 

[Technosavant]

+1 on the "call the cops", and another on "take a couple pictures." Best if you can get shots of the license plate, the driver, and an overall picture showing the entire vehicle (but I'd probably use a telephoto lens if possible- no reason to spark a confrontation).

If it is a PI, he might not like "having his cover blown," but if the neighbors have taken note of his presence then the cover IS blown- just maybe not to the subject of the investigation.

Either way, since we are talking about the safety of kids, the cops definitely need to be notified, and a couple good photos of the van and driver can go a LONG way towards bringing about a resolution to a worst-case scenario.

 

[mmike87]

He was right out there in the open, 50 feet from my front door. There is no "cover" to blow. He was right there, and everyone could see him easily.

He certainly was not being discrete in any way shape or form. So I doubt it was a PI.

 

[WayneConrad]

Is it worth mentioning it to the neighbors? Other parents would love to know if something might be amiss.