THIEF Hits Construction Site

[motepoc]

You may have seen this already, but thought I'd post it here again. You definitely don't want to shoot someone for stealing property, even though you should actually be able to, kinda like cattle rustleing. I plan on following this all the way through. He is still in jail awaiting trial and is on $75,000 bond.

I went to bed at 11:00 pm on the night of August 21st when the 11o'clock News started. Approximately 11:15pm, the alarm went off (three beeps) for the shed out back. My wife said the alarms were going off, and I told her that animals had been setting them off on previous nights, and I wasn't going to get up to check. Then 20 seconds later the alarm for the storage room door (one beep) went off, and I told my wife someone was going in the storage room. I got up, grabbed my cell phone, and went to the kitchen window (labeled A in the drawing). When I got to the window, I couldn't see anyone, but I dialed 911 anyway, because the door alarm was still going off, which meant the door wasn't shut all the way. While talking to the dispatcher, the storage room door (B) opened further and the suspect stepped out and set things on the ground, and went back into the room. He then came out again with things in his hand and went to the end of the bush line (D). He set down what he had in his hand, and went back to get the things he had laid on the ground at the door. I could tell that one of those things was my weed eater that had the roto-tiller head on it, and he had something in the other hand I couldn't make out. During this time I had described the suspect to the dispatcher as a black male, tall, thin, and had a grey shirt and black pants and told what he was doing. When he got to the end of the bush/fence line he turned towards the store/barn and continued walking towards them. I moved to the front window (H) of the house to see if I could see anything. The suspect walked between the barn and the store, and I didn稚 see him again at that time. The police arrived approximately 12-15 minutes after I had made the call. They searched outside for the suspect but didn't find him. I went outside and told them what I saw. We went between the store and the barn and found a canopy from the storage room laying under the edge of the barn (E). We took it and walked to the edge of the bush line (D) and found my leaf blower, 3/8 DeWalt drill motor, and a 1lb ball peen hammer. We gathered those things and went to the storage room. I checked in the room and couldn't see anything else that was missing. In giving the officer my information he asked for my DOB. I told him 8-22-1945. Another officer said that's tomorrow and the officer filling out the report looked at his watch and said that's in 15 minutes? After filling out the report, and the officers leaving, I went back into the house and laid back down.

The alarm (three beeps) went off again at 2:00am on the 22nd of August, and I got up right away and went to the kitchen window (A). The reason I know it was 2:00am is that as I passed the stove, I looked at the clock. The same fellow was out under the shed at this time. I called 911 again and told them the situation. He was looking under the shed for about a minute, and then came to the front of the shed closest to the storage room (I) and knelt down and was looking around for 10-15 seconds. He then got up and went into the storage room again. The alarm went off again for the storage room door. He came out again and set things on the ground again, went back in and came out again, doing the same as before, setting things at the end of the bush line (D). He again went between the barn and the store, but this time he set the items he had down and went back to the back of the yard right away. Just a few seconds later an officer came around the corner of the barn and walked to the back, the same way the suspect had went. They (the officers) went back to the shed and into the woods behind the shed but did not find the suspect at that time. They came to my front door and I went out to talk to them and show them where he was again (between the barn and store). When we went there, my leaf blower and battery jump battery was laying on the ground (F) beside the barn. There was also a bicycle laying there (G). I told the officers that the blower and battery were mine, but not the bike. They said they would attach this report to the other one and took the bike with them. The officer in the black Dodge Charger told me he would be patrolling the area the rest of the night. Took the two items back in the house with me.

I sat at the front window (H) looking out between the barn and store expecting the suspect to come back for his bike. Sat there about 40-45 minutes, and saw lights coming. Looked and it was the Sheriffs Dodge Charger going east on Borden Road. Then about 5 minutes later saw the lights again, and this time he was heading west towards 521. About 5 minutes later the dispatcher called my cell phone and told me that the deputy had apprehended a suspect and was bringing him here for me to ID. The deputy arrived and had suspect in rear seat of car. He asked if that was the person I had seen, and I told him yes.

The next morning I went outside to the end of the bush line (D) and found my drill motor and battery charger, which the officers didn't find the second time. I told Investigator Gardner about those when he came out the same day (22nd of August, 2007) to follow up on the case and take pictures.

I feel like these two incidents should be treated as two separate robberies, first because he left the area to dispose of the weed eater/roto-tiller and secondly they occurred on two separate days, 21st of August 2007 11:15pm and 22nd of August 2007 2:00am.

 

[ultrarunner]

A year and half ago I get a 1:30 am call that multiple silent motion alarms are going off in the admin wing of the Hospital were I'm employed. Every time this has happened in the past it was a Doctor who just got out of the ER or someone that was working late at budget time and had inadvertently set off the alarm.

Anyway, I respond and notice the Door to the Directors office ajar. I walk in and catch the burglar/thief in the process of taking a tire iron to the row of locked files. Figuring I had the element of surprise and that a good offense is the best defense, I charged him and he dropped everything and fled.

I chased him through the building and across the parking lot. I called 911 as I was running and told them I need the Police now and than I was in pursuit of a burglar.

The dispatcher asked, "What did I mean by 'Now' I told her that I'm running down the street after the guy. Dispatch asked me what I looked like??? It was so the police could ID me.

5 Squad Cars arrived and sealed off the neighborhood. I told the officer where the thief was. He refused to come out so they sent in the Canine Unit.

The dog had him in about 30 seconds.

The irony is that I was summoned to appear in court on behalf of the thief. Oh, this was his third strike and he pleaded guilty. He was suing the city for excessive use of force because he claimed that he was not given ample opportunity to surrender before the dog was sent in.

Anyway, I was the only witness and testified that the Officer gave a warning that the Dog was coming in and that was it.

He should be away for a number of years...

By the way, the Police both reprimanded me and at the same time praised me. I was told how foolish it was to go after the guy and what a great service I did by catching him...

 

[LMTC]

Ever figure out what he was after? Locked files in a Director's office does not seem like a typical druggie's target........ I smell intrigue.

 

[ultrarunner]

The Director's office was just where I caught him... he had jimmied the doors to 5 locked offices prior to getting to that one. No Drugs in the admin wing.

In his duffel bag the police found a bunch of petty items. He cleaned out the office supply cabinet of 40 new Duracell Batteries, a Brother Label Machine, about a Dozen Ink Jet Cartridges... unopened 2lb bag of Peanut M&M's and the contents of the pencil drawers for the offices he had broken into.

I think we counted $25 in cash and one of the employee's cell phone in the mix.

The damage he did to the building and file cabinets was many times greater than the items stolen.

The older I get the less tolerance I have. Would you believe that a couple of employee's said they hoped the Police Dog hadn't hurt him too badly?

My apologies to Hunterridgefarm... I just commiserating with you

 

[Kendall69]

They pushed in my security fence/gate at the entrance to my nursery and drove off with a bran new 16' dump trailer. The only consolation, it was full so they saved me a dump fee.

There's a company out my way that sets up multiple video camera's on a HUGE pole in the center of the job site with HUGE signs video monitoring etc.

I thought that was a great idea. The 4- 6 cameras are on the top of the pole and point in all directions at the same time front,back, sides, doors etc.

I look into a set up that I thought was great. You can sit at your computer and monitor your site from home, and with the day/night cameras they can put them on motion sensors so they come on when they detect movement.

Also I found a cool ditty. It's a motion senor that you can set at the entrance or anywhere, then have a wire go from the sensor to a large speaker, and the sensor can record sounds like a barking dog - or you yelling HEY WHO"S OUT THERE!!!!

VX-402REC - Optex's outdoor detection - Home Security Store


So if the cross the path, they will hear dogs barking "in the distance" or whatever you record, this one is fun.

I set it up at the entrance to the house to try it out with a PA speaker. the wife came home and crossed the sensor and almost dropped he packages when she heard the dogs barking.

Fish hooks dangling from approaching bushes that they may use to sneak up on.

Glass glued to the backside of the top of your fence, so when the climb it they get cut up.

I installed climb proof fencing the same fencing they use in prisons, and it stopped my problem.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I spent the evening talking with neighbors to see if anyone saw or heard anything Sunday night. The only neighbor who has property bordering me, and is actually at the back of my property line said there two dogs starting barking around 12 midnight. They will be watching out for anything unusual and offered to keep an alarm at their house if I could find a driveway sensor that would reach that far.

The neighbor across from my driveway said his dogs started barking around 1:00am and he saw someone walking down the road with a flashlight but did not see any vehicles parked across the road. But he also said it is not unusual to see people walking the roads late at night. I don't know if thats true but I did drive out around 11:00pm last night and passed an older man about a mile from my build site thumbing for a ride. He did say he would keep an eye out and would call. He is a good old guy and has known my wifes family a number of years.

I have another friend that lives a couple hundred yards from the end of my prpoerty line and works second shift but did not work Sunday night. So they will be checking for me.

I think it is someone within walking distance of the property and have been given a couple of names to check out by the people who live in that area.

We will still most likely bring the camper in so I can stay there at night. However the house should be lockable in the next couple of weeks. I was going to ask the builder if I could put a wood stove in the basement and just stay in the house.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Thanks to everyone for the replys.

The builder should be filing the police report but we have so much copper theft in this area that he said it would not make much of a difference if he filed or not.

I have thought about the wildlife camera but do they not have a flash when they take a picture?

Also we plan on having a security light installed once the house was complete. Do you think it would help to do this now or would it just allow the thiefs to see better?

Thanks,
David

 

[dooleysm]

This past spring someone stole a 1 gallon gas can from my grandpa's storage shed right in town. Since he's long retired and didn't have anything better to do, he filed a police report. In August a police officer stopped by his house to tell him they had found his gas can during a drug raid. They thanked him for filing the report, because they were able to add another theft charge to the drug dealer's rap sheet. He also got his gas can back! It helps that he engraves his initials on everything he owns.

Even if you're willing to accept the loss of the wire, it's still worth it to file a police report, because you give the police another tool to keep criminals behind bars once they catch them.

 

[Tig]

I always file a police report if I witness a crime or I am the victim of one. It gives the police an idea of the crime patterns if nothing else.
I think the security light is a good idea. Especially if you are staying at the site. It will tip you off to any one lurking. A digital camera may be of some help, although most have a tough time in low light conditions.
I would suggest that you put the trailer in a cleared area and do not light the trailer area. If I am checking something out I like to have the area of concern lit while I asses the situation from the cover of darkness. Even if you catch them red handed you may want to just quietly call the cops and take notes rather than confront them.
Years back I caught a thief. I was angry and just walked in the neighbours boathouse and grabbed him. On the way in the police picked up his two buddies who were keeping a lookout about 200 feet away. I was lucky they were potheads and were oblivious to the fact that I had caught their buddy twenty minutes earlier.

 

[RonMar]

They make game cameras that are purely infared illumination, no flash, all digital, no sound, just pic after pic once their motion detector is activated.

A security light can be a good idea, but not as effective as something else. People who are doing something they know is wrong, don't like unexpected surprises. Like as mentioned, the motion detector dosn't turn on a light, but turns on some recorded noise or starts up a piece of machinery. If it is loud enough and you neighbors know what to listen for, you wouldn't need to use a remote alarm like one of your neighbors volunteered to monitor.

If you are going to camp out, one thing very important as mentioned, a person looking from the darkened area is always at the advantage, so park in the shadows and iluminate the target area.

Don't get tunnel vision if you do catch someone, watch and look around(360 degrees around). The example of the 2 other guys out in the bushes is one to learn from. Just like most people who hit deer with a car. It isn't the one that they saw that was hit. They were focused on that one. It was the one they didn't see that they hit(or hit them).