Situation Red - 3:30 AM this morning..

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Had a situation RED at my house last night at 3:30 AM.

At 3:30 AM I am alerted by a red 4 door sedan parking in front of my house.. I'm not expecting visitors so I'm watching like a hawk. All lights in my house are off and I'm watching from a dark room through a window. I see a dude hop out. He pulls a hoodie over his head. I'm thinking hoodie in July???? This dude is up to something. He starts walking across my lawn and starts checking out my neighbor's house from my yard. Peaking in windows and shit. I go on red alert. I tell the PreBanWoman. As I'm going for the phone to call the popo a car rides by and the dude hides behind a maple tree in my front yard to keep from being seen. I've got the police on the phone at this point and I'm telling them what's going down as it's happening. After the car rides by the dude goes back to checking out my neighbor's house, this time from the front. He than walks out of sight as he turns the corner and disappears behind the opposing side of my neighbor's house.

About 2 minutes later the popo starts showing up. They light up the sedan with their spots and there's a female passenger. They start to question her and ThePreBanWoman and I crack the window to listen in. While they're questioning her, police are walking up and down the street that's on the opposite side of my neighbor. They're checking in yards, etc. But they come up empty. Meanwhile, I hear this bitch in the car tell the police she's alone, her car overheated and she was waiting for her husband to pick her up. I hear to cop ask, if you were driving, why are you sitting in the passenger seat? We didn't quite hear her answer - something about letting her husband drive (what is supposed to be an inoperable car) when he gets there. They get her out of the car and bitch doesn't even have shoes on. She's in pajamas and looks like a mess. The car has RI tags. They ask her what she's doing out yonder at 3:30 AM and she gives some story about being with her mom and they got in a fight and she was out for a drive (in the passenger seat). Police case the neighborhood again and come up empty. They tell the bitch to beat feet. She gets into the drivers seat and adjusts the seat up about 6 inches.... Wouldn't that seat have already been adjusted if she was in fact driving??? She drives off (in what was reported as an inoperable vehicle). The police take off. I'm thinking to myself, Okay, not sure if that's quality police work???!!!

2 minutes later I see the dude ride down the street on a bike, turn the corner and ride by the house. He didn't come on that bike so he obviously stole it. I think from the neighbors behind me. I call the nonemergency police line and report what I saw. A cruzer drives by again and that's it. I'm thinking to myself, okay she was obviously a lookout, texted him when the popo arrived and then texted them again after they shooed her away and told him where to meet her. Now I have to talk to my neighbors and find out who's missing a bike so they can call it in.

Since they at least identified the female, when the bike is reported missing they'll know where to start looking. I just need to find the neighbor it was taken from and make sure they call it in.

There were some moments where the dude was staring at my house.... It's difficult to describe how that made me feel.
 
IDK. Thing is my neighbor's house that he was checking out so hard isn't really a house you look at and say, wow they've got money, etc. There are seemingly much more appealing options on either side of him and around the corner.

He did look my way. We have an alarm sign out front, on all the doors, etc. Not sure if that dissuaded him or not....

The PreBanWoman was pretty shaken up about it. Neighbors whose house was getting the attention are really shaken. I talked to them this AM.
 
IDK. Thing is my neighbor's house that he was checking out so hard isn't really a house you look at and say, wow they've got money, etc. There are seemingly much more appealing options on either side of him and around the corner.

He did look my way. We have an alarm sign out front, on all the doors, etc. Not sure if that dissuaded him or not....

The PreBanWoman was pretty shaken up about it. Neighbors whose house was getting the attention are really shaken. I talked to them this AM.
Middle of the road is often the best target. Less likely to have a security system and someone roaming around outside doesn’t seem as suspicious.
Go to a neighborhood with a bunch of McMansions and they all have security, all neighbors are more likely to notice those that “don’t belong”, toys are probably in a locked garage vs sitting in the front or backyard..
 
IDK. Thing is my neighbor's house that he was checking out so hard isn't really a house you look at and say, wow they've got money, etc. There are seemingly much more appealing options on either side of him and around the corner.

He did look my way. We have an alarm sign out front, on all the doors, etc. Not sure if that dissuaded him or not....

The PreBanWoman was pretty shaken up about it. Neighbors whose house was getting the attention are really shaken. I talked to them this AM.

If all he wanted was really just the bike I'm not sure why he would have been looking in my neighbors windows, etc.

Sometimes burglars want something easy like change inside a car's center console or sunglasses in the visor. This is your pedestrian heroine addict in a small New England town. They're not trying to harm anyone, they just need things to sell or money to keep on keeping on.

These people sound like they have a plan and are investigating the neighborhood or they wanted to see who lived in your neighbor's house. Probably more dangerous than not.

Like @headednorth said, bigger houses have security systems and driveway lights that are motion activated. The average say $200k to $400k house and family doesn't normally have tight security or the redneck method of big dog + guns + game cameras.

No - middle aged. Nice people. Keep to themselves, barely scrapping by. Dude sells lawnmowers on Craigslist for supplmental income.

Could be how he got their attention. Small stuff like that's easy to move and easy to take during the day when they're at work. No need for dealing with heavy items like safes.
 
I'll tell ya, last night I was wishing I had gotten the FLIR I've been thinking about for Coyote. I would have gone outside to the officers and said "I'll find him for you. Make sure she doesn't touch her phone and let's get er done."

That would have been awesome, I know how much cops enjoy citizen vigilantes!
 
Sometimes burglars want something easy like change inside a car's center console or sunglasses in the visor. This is your pedestrian heroine addict in a small New England town. They're not trying to harm anyone, they just need things to sell or money to keep on keeping on.

These people sound like they have a plan and are investigating the neighborhood or they wanted to see who lived in your neighbor's house. Probably more dangerous than not.

Like @headednorth said, bigger houses have security systems and driveway lights that are motion activated. The average say $200k to $400k house and family doesn't normally have tight security or the redneck method of big dog + guns + game cameras.



Could be how he got their attention. Small stuff like that's easy to move and easy to take during the day when they're at work. No need for dealing with heavy items like safes.


GAME Cameras!!! Brilliant. I have a metric shit ton of tail cams. I'll be deploying some for sure. I have a tree in my front yard that will offer a perfect view of the front yard and my front door.
 
That would have been awesome, I know how much cops enjoy citizen vigilantes!

I know they don't. But I would have let them borrow it. I wanted them to find the dude. After they used it successfuly they could go back to the station and be like "Yo guess what we got to use. We need us some of these".
 
Good situational awareness and reaction to a suspicious event. I was in a similar situation a few weeks back. Woke up at 3:30 and noticed a shadowy figure trying to beak into my cars in my driveway about 15-20 feet from my bedroom window. I posted it ("Public Service Announcement") and got some good feedback from folks.

It's difficult to react and do everything you could do at that time in the morning. Which is why thieves and Special Forces like to plan operations around that time. You are normally not at your best operational awareness at that time.

One suggestion. I would have tried to stay on the line with the police and make sure that the responding officers knew that there was another perp out of their sight. I am sure that they would have been grateful to know that there was another party nearby whom they were not aware of.

Otherwise, glad you were vigilant and willing to try to do something about it.
 
Oh I let dispatch know. His activities were the entire reason I called them. They were getting a play by play but they let me go once officers were on the scene. I wanted to be a good witness...

I have to say - their response was damn quick. 3 cruzers on site in less than 5 minutes from initial contact. It's helpful to know their response time so I know what I'm working with if there's ever a next time.
 
Sounds like they’ve gotten recent calls with a similar situation and that’s why they were onsite so quickly.

Even something as simple as motion activated lights are a deterrent. Keep trees and shrubs away from windows. Well lit entrances. Simple things can make your home a much less likely target.
 
Sounds like they’ve gotten recent calls with a similar situation and that’s why they were onsite so quickly.

Even something as simple as motion activated lights are a deterrent. Keep trees and shrubs away from windows. Well lit entrances. Simple things can make your home a much less likely target.
Fwiw, I had read that motion activated lights are a better deterrent than lights that are continuously on. Also as a side note, dont leave ladders in your yard or in an unsecured garage or shed. Lots of people feel ok with leaving second floor windows open or have entrances on the first floor alarmed but not on the second. Cant imagine how dumb Id feel to come home to my ladder propped up against a second floor window and then finding my house had been robbed.
 
Fwiw, I had read that motion activated lights are a better deterrent than lights that are continuously on. Also as a side note, dont leave ladders in your yard or in an unsecured garage or shed. Lots of people feel ok with leaving second floor windows open or have entrances on the first floor alarmed but not on the second. Cant imagine how dumb Id feel to come home to my ladder propped up against a second floor window and then finding my house had been robbed.

Motion sensor lights are a lot more effective: watch video of burglars that trip motion sensor lights, usually ends the encounter pretty quick. Burglar doesn't know if its the lights themselves or the homeowner unless the burglar sticks around to screw with the lights and see what happens.
 
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