Close to home

[KD5NRH]

Thursday evening, I finally got the surveillance cameras installed.  (I can't really recommend Astak's customer service, but if you don't mind figuring the system out via creative guesswork, it's a good price for 4 cameras and a networkable DVR.)  Sunday's paper had this, one street over and a few houses down from mine.

Fortunately, since I work nights, I'm home most mornings.  Unfortunately, I'm often asleep at that time on Thursdays, though I do keep a 1911 in reach by my side of the bed and my wife's P32 by her side.  I think I'll try to contact the PD this week and see if they will give out information on entry method, etc.  If they're willing to give vehicle description info, I'll also review the recordings (Since we're on a corner lot, the garage/driveway camera can clearly see the main intersection for the neighborhood.) and see if the suspect might have been casing the neighborhood again since this incident.

Home burglarized in broad daylight
By AMANDA KIMBLE
Staff Writer
amanda.kimble@empiretribune.com
Published: Sunday, May 10, 2009 4:25 PM CDT
Law enforcement officials are searching for burglars who made off with several pieces of jewelry, rifle ammunition and attempted to loot other items from a home within the city limits sometime Thursday morning.

According to Lt. Don Miller with the Stephenville Police Department, a homeowner in the 1300 block of Kaylock Street, who left for work around 7:30 a.m., returned home for a noon lunch break and realized “things were out of place” and called police.

Miller said the “unique” thing about the burglary was the fact that the perpetrators entered the home in broad daylight on a street where several residents were home to witness a suspicious individual in the neighborhood. The witnesses have provided a description to police. “We are working those leads,” Miller said. “This case is currently under investigation.”

Following the incident, Miller is urging residents to be on alert and advises anyone who notices suspicious persons near their homes to contact the police department immediately.

“We are asking residents to report persons in the neighborhood that are out of place, even during working hours,” Miller said. “People know who does and does not belong in their neighborhoods.”

Miller said the bandits used a pry bar to gain entry through a back door and got away with 14 rings, 25 necklaces, 11 bracelets, 12 pairs of earrings and rifle ammunition. Luckily, Miller said, there were items that were left behind, including rifles and power tools.

“The burglars had stolen firearms and powers tools, which they hid in the backyard,” Miller said.

The police were alerted to the scene before the bandits could return for the stashed items.

Anyone with information should contact police at 918-1200 or Crime Stoppers at 254-965-CASH (2274.) Callers will not be asked to give their names and will remain anonymous. Tipsters can also leave a tip through http://www.stephenvillepolice.org under the Crime Stoppers heading.

[Jamisjockey]

Miller said the bandits used a pry bar to gain entry through a back door

There's your entry method.

[DJJ]

I don't get how people can see somebody like that and he can still get away. I once worked with a guy whose apartment was cleaned out in broad daylight like this while his landlord/lady watched. Their explanation? We thought you were moving out.

[KD5NRH]

There's your entry method.

More interested in what kind of door and how visible it was; we're stuck with a sliding glass back door, though I have a standalone squealer alarm on it that will go off if it's opened or lifted off the track, but I know at least some of the other houses around here have substantial and properly installed wooden back doors.  Also, aside from the waist-high hedge around the porch, our back door is visible from the side street and a couple of other people's houses.

OTOH, for the moment while some of our large furniture is still living in the garage, the lawnmower and weedeater live on the back porch.  I put one of the cameras where it covers them and almost all possible approaches to the back door.  (Someone could come up flat against the wall and avoid the camera until they're close enough to turn it upward or point it at the wall, but I doubt they're that determined.)

[Jamisjockey]

Ever watch that show where they go and break in people's houses to show how easy it is?

[Perd Hapley]

I was watching that show at your house, just last week. 

[Balog]

That was a good show. Scary (especially for us apartment dwellers) but interesting.

[RoadKingLarry]

They'd have to get passed the dog before she extracts a DNA sample to even get to the reinforced door. 1/4" steel plate the full length of the door frame on lock side anchored top and bottom. Won't stop 'em but they won't just kick it in at the door knob.

[CNYCacher]

When doing construction on a cheaply-made home, my boss showed me a great way to enter a house.  He peeled the vinyl siding off  from bottom to top, then launched his 250+lb frame through the wall, which was 1/2" drywall on the inside, and homasote on the outside.  Took him all of 10 seconds, including the 0.5 seconds it took him to faceplant after tripping on the electrical line running about shin height through the wall. 

It was kind of a "hold my beer and watch this" moment, without actual beer.

We were removing that wall anyway.

[KD5NRH]

When doing construction on a cheaply-made home, my boss showed me a great way to enter a house.  He peeled the vinyl siding off  from bottom to top, then launched his 250+lb frame through the wall, which was 1/2" drywall on the inside, and homasote on the outside.

Fortunately, even non-structural brick is difficult to peel :)