Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with burglary

Did somebody shoot my car?

escabeche — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:52:59 -0800

Did somebody shoot my car? This morning in Tucson, AZ we came out of the house we were visiting to find the driver's window of our rental car shattered -- that is, the glass was cracked into tiny pieces but almost entirely still in the windowframe, apart from a small hole, about hand-sized, near the mirror. That part of the glass was scattered on the driver's seat. There was also a small hole in the driver's side door, a little above the handle; the door was still locked. There was nothing of value in the car, and the interior was, as far as we could tell, untouched. No marks on the trunk.

So what happened here? Attempted break-in? But then why not sweep all the glass out of the window? And why not try to force the trunk, when the car itself was visibly empty of valuables? The folks at the rental car agency said the hole in the door looked like a bullet hole. But do people randomly shoot at parked cars in the middle of the night? Would a bullet fired at a car penetrate the outside metal of the door but not enter the cabin? (There was no hole on the inside of the door, and no bullet inside.) And would shooting the door of a car shatter the driver's side window?

Breaking Out Of Break-In Anxiety

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:52:22 -0800

My girlfriend is having a crisis following a burglary at her apartment in Austin, TX. What can I do for her, and more importantly, what can she do for herself? This is actually a two-part question, but the halves are very different matters ('her her her' vs. 'me me me'), so I'll hold back the temptation to cram every last problem in one question.

Last month my girlfriend came home from work one night to find her apartment had been broken into. She is a very sensitive person. Though she lost only a few items, she feels (rightly) violated and anxious. This feeling of violated space troubles her as severely a month later as the night of the break-in. She moved to a new apartment and put on a facade of internal strength. Last night, she broke down in tears, confessing her anxiety never really left her. She can't sleep at night, and she carries either a large knife or hammer to bed and to walk the dog.

In typical Ask MeFi fashion, I told her she seriously needs therapy, but we both knew that's not an easy option. She was already financially tight before the robbery, and she can't afford a therapist, not even the regular co-pay. Group therapy would be a great way for her to heal, but after researching the Central Texas area, all group sessions seem dedicated to victims of violent crime.

What low-budget options are available to victims of non-violent crime in Austin?

Thanks so much.

Reward for Information?

TurquoiseZebra — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:20:23 -0800

Have you had any luck obtaining information after a burglary by offering a reward? So my condo was broken into and pretty much everything was taken. (including ALL OF MY SHOES - Over 150 pairs! *sob*). I'm very, very upset and want whomever did it to be caught and subsequently prosecuted.

I live in a mid-size complex, but my condo is close to the entrance and right next to the mailboxes, so there are a lot of people coming and going at all hours of the day & night. I'm pretty sure someone HAD to have seen something, even if it didn't register as suspicious at the time.

My question is this - Have any of you had any success getting information by offering a reward? (I'm willing to pay several hundred dollars if someone has any information that leads to an arrest.)

If I DO end up offering the reward, do I have the people contact me or the police?

Thanks in advance!

Cops wont return burglarized items they have recovered

Pasa la bola chetu — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:52:41 -0800

How can I get the stuff cops recovered from a burglary at my place? (in Silicon Valley, Ca) A few months ago my place was burglarized. I was able to connect to two of the stolen laptops thru the web and with the info I gathered the cops were able to recover them (tho nothing else).

Its been 5 months and the cops are still holding onto the laptops. The investigator that was so helpful during recovery no longer returns my calls. when I get him on the phone he is obviously annoyed but wont give me a date when they will be returned. He says they are part of an ongoing investigation. THe people at the police station tell me that only the investigator can authorize their release. I feel I am getting the runaround.

What are my options? The investigator was very helpful during recovery so I dont want to seem like an ingrate and go the "let me speak to your superiors" route.

I'm Moving Out

Bageena — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:41:22 -0800

Sort of like a question I asked before, but not quite as whimsical. I've reached the end of the lease with the apartment my wife and I live in. It's up as of February 1st and that's perfect, because we'd like to be out by then. The problem is that they're asking for a 60 day written notice and we just gave them notice today. In the last 7 days, Mrs. Bageena's father died and while we were out of town for the funeral, someone broke into our apartment and robbed us. Please forgive me if this question isn't quite as clearly written as it should be. I've had an emotional week. Ok, so, here we go.
My wife and I have lived in an apartment in Mesa, AZ for the last 12 months. When we moved in, we signed a year long lease with no deposit down. They put in the lease that we would need to give them a 60 day written notice. We found that out around the beginning of this month when I called in to inform them that we were planning on moving out at the end of the month. We thought, well, you know, that sucks but we'll just have to stick it out if that's what the lease said.
Then, a week ago, this happened. Gilbert is my wife Tara's father. He passed away Saturday the 10th driving from a round of golf in Globe to his home in Snowflake. Tara and I were notified shortly after it happened and we immediately drove to Snowflake to be with the family. The funeral was on Friday, and we drove home on Saturday.
On top of that, we recieved a call after the funeral (on Saturday when we were driving home, actually) from our apartments letting us know that someone had kicked in the door of our apartment and robbed us. They stole my wife's laptop, my Xbox 360 elite, about 20 games, and went through our financial stuff. All in all, I think the loss comes to about $2000 worth of stuff. The police officer explained to us that this was actually the 4th break-in within the last 7 days at our apartment building.
So there you have it. We wanted out of the apartment at the end of the month from the very beginning, but when we found out Gilbert had died, it seemed even more important that we free ourselves up a little in case we need to help with Gilbert's finances. Then, with the break-in, we very simply put no longer feel safe in our apartment. They barely fixed the lock on our door and haven't even made it a point of importance to come back around and fix the door frame, which shattered when it was kicked in. My wife can't deal with any of this stuff right now, and the person we usually turned to for advice with this sort of thing was her father. So Mefites, can you help me?

Thanks.

They took my tv!

stormygrey — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:33:19 -0800

Dangit, some one came and took my tv! So I come home from work, had to stay late, its 7 pm and there is a police cruiser parked in front of my house and my boyfriend is um, animatedly, talking to a neighbor.

Yes, someone has opened MY gate, come up MY stairs, got on MY deck, and kicked in MY window and absconded with MY big ass tv. I thought the big ass tv was silly when we bought it a couple of years ago, but now that vast open space above the fireplace is quite distressing. Actually, i don't care that much about the tv, but i do feel quite violated.

I also don't know how all this insurance stuff works. I am assuming it works much like a car accident, you fill the claim out, they send someone, then you get a check.

However, I don't know how to value the windows (they broke another one lord knows how). Do you value getting the glass replaced or a new window? Do you get an estimate and send it in and then do with it what you please (fix it or not)?

I've never had problems with auto insurance, but I have heard that files on your house can get your policy canceled, we don't need that! Our deductible is a grand and those big tvs don't cost that much. How do you decide whether to file a claim or not?

Any anecdotes or such welcome. I am just feeling overwhelmed right now. That old mantra that "if they want to come in, they will" is leaving me feeling really exposed right now.

What to do when I've been robbed?

firevoice — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:23:43 -0800

My apartment was burglarized a week ago Saturday. They took jewelry that isn't worth much but that meant the world to me, and money. The police came and took a report but seeing as this is NYC, my case file is probably already buried. I'm not sure what to do now. Detectives believe the thief or thieves gained access into my apartment building and got to the roof through an unlocked door. They then used the fire escape to come through my window which had a window fan in it. The cops believe they came up through the fire escape and that these type of burglars usually strike during the day because they don't want a confrontation. However, my neighbor said she heard someone on the roof between 9-11PM so that fits more with the detective's theory. Prints were found on the window, but the robbers were wearing gloves so that's a dead end. I've since spoken to other people in the buidling who've lived here for twenty years and apparently it's common knowledge the door to the roof has been unlocked for at least two years. The super of the building confirmed this as he said he hasn't had a key to the door since he became super two years ago so it's left unlocked.

He notified the management, who never even called me to get the details of what happened. Instead, they put up a flyer that Monday reminding residents not to buzz anyone into the building. No mention of the robbery or anything. I called them and told them I was very dissapointed in the action they had taken, but they stood by their decision and never even once asked me what happened or you know, apologized for knowing there about the secuirty lapses in the building. There are several fire escapes that are hanging dangerously low where someone with even a little bit of upper-body strength could hoist themselves up.

I printed out my own flyer and put it on every floor, as well as in the lobby and in the elevator. Not twenty-four hours after I put them, they were taken down. So I replaced them. Again they were taken down. I'm pretty sure the management office instructed the super to take them down.

And now I'll get my questions.

1. Knowing about the security holes in this building, and knowing that the management office, super and other residents were aware of these, do I have any course of action? Even if they were buzzed into the budiling, or followed someone else in, if the door to the roof had been locked, they would've had no where to go except roam the halls, and no one is going to try to break into an apartment through the front door when anyone can get off the elevator or come up through the stairwell. The shadiness of the management office as far as not wanting to inform the other residents and repeatedly taking down flyers which explain the incident seem to feel like a cover-up. My landlord told me Thursday that a new lock to the roof door has been installed, but well, great. They've already taken everything they can from me. Is it worth it to try to get one of those sleazy, oily 1-800-LAWYER types?

2. I'm an emotional wreck. My apartment doesn't feel like home anymore. It doesn't even LOOK like my home anymore. I've replaced most of my "triggers" including throwing out a lamp where they unscrewed the lightbulb, replacing my blinds and getting a big stick of wood to make sure no one can get in my window.

Leaving my apartment for more than an hour causes me as much anxiety as it does when I'm in this apartment. I go from crying fits to bursts of anger. I'm weary of anyone and everyone. No matter how tired I am, trying to go to bed causes me great anxiety. The first week I slept during the day on my couch with my light and TV on. It was only two days ago I was able to sleep in my bed, but again, it was during the day with my TV on. I can't even bring myself to open my blinds because I feel it's the last bit of privacy I have. I'm paranoid. I wake up at every little noise. I run to my door everytime I hear someone in the hall.

Yes, I need therapy. Unfortunately the referral places I've called haven't been helpful as far as returning my phone calls. I've been in therapy before and had a great experience with it when I was in college, but now I'm weary of having to start all over, having to give my history instead of dealing with the present. Using every keyword I can think of, I've googled to see if there are any victim support groups in the NYC area and haven't found one for people who have been burglarized. Had I been exposed to asbestos, I'd be all set. Does anyone know of any support groups? Anyone know of a referral system which will actually return phone calls and work with me to find a therapist I can feel comfortable with? There's a few requirements I need when it comes to a therapist.

Moving is not an option unfortunately. I don't have the money for a security deposit, first/last month rent and every studio in this area is at least $300 a month more than what I'm paying now.

Thanks and I apologize for the length.

Burglary experiences and what to look for

chef_boyardee — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:16:12 -0800

Has anyone experienced a residential burglary AND is certain who did it (or caught the thief redhanded?) Who did it? Did anything occur that made you suspicious, and what could you have done to prevent the burglary? I'm trying to hedge myself against burglary, but most people I know who experienced one have no idea who did it, leaving nothing to be learned except to lock up better.

Our home was broken into. What now?

scarabic — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:59:45 -0800

We just figured out our house was burgled. One laptop and a necklace or two missing. No one is in the house. We can see where they got in and we've secured it. What should we do now? File a police report? What about the laptop? Any identity theft steps to take? We changed the email passwords and stuff... Other suggestions welcome.

Can I recover my stolen laptop?

starvingartist — Wed, 30 May 2007 21:18:21 -0800

My laptop was stolen - but I think it might still be nearby! What can I do? Around 1 PM yesterday, someone broke through my bathroom window screen (the window was up) and came into my house. The motion sensor alarm went off immediately and the burglar bugged out, but not before grabbing my iBook which was sitting out on the dining room table.

I am running a wireless network which is password protected. The only computers I have granted access to are my desktop, my laptop and my neighbor's computer. The only Mac is my laptop.

When I looked at the DHCP client list on my router page this evening, I noticed 3 computers on the network. I reset the router, thinking that it might be an old list, and when it had reset itself there was only one computer there besides my desktop - my neighbor's. However, about 30 minutes later I looked again, and there was a 3rd computer again. I ran the MAC address through a lookup (found here), and it said the MAC address is from an Apple computer.

Does this mean my laptop could still be within wireless range? Can it be found? Unfortunately, I do not have the serial number or MAC address written down, but I do believe I registered it with Apple. Would they have the MAC address of my laptop?

I have already reset my critical passwords, but it would be really fantastic to get my laptop back.

can you recommend a home security / alarm company?

boygirlparty — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:37:56 -0800

can you recommend a good home security / alarm company? we're in san diego. there are the usual suspects as far as security goes: brinks, ADT,.. but i'm not sure whether to go with a local company or a bigger company - who is happy with their service?

we have deadbolts and locks on all our windows, but that didn't prevent a break-in this week. we've since installed motion sensitive lights around the perimeter of our little house and secondary locks on all the windows, and are looking into an alarm system obviously, but any other suggestions would be recommended.

(besides getting a dog. love dogs, but you know - suggestions that don't involve living beings.)

"I'll be right over, after I finish this donut..."

SpecialK — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 13:31:32 -0800

Is it possible to sue a police department for crummy response time? This is not for legal advice, it's simply for my own curiousity.

A friend's business was robbed last night. An employee witnessed someone breaking in through a window from across the street (she had left to get a coffee and was walking back), and called 911. They said that there was someone breaking in, that they were watching them remove computers and other office gear, and dispatch told her to stay away and said they'd send someone out right away. She was expecting a sirens-and-squealing-tires response. The actual response: An hour after the burglars left, a single patrol car wheels up, shines a flashlight on the broken window, and *without even going inside to see if there was anyone in there* calls the building's landlord from the emergency number on the front of the building to come put a board up over the broken window.

The burglars were using a stolen u-haul so there was no way to track the license plate she got back. Insurance will cover the loss, of course, but it still seems like criminals have free reign. The building also had an alarm, which worked, so the 911 call wasn't the only notification of a break-in.

This was in Houston, TX by the way. I normally have a lot of respect for police, but this seems rediculous to me. The police clearly had enough notification and didn't provide the service that they're supposed to. Where does liability lay and is there any legal background for this kind of lawsuit?

House Broken Into - Looking for Advice on a Security System

krudiger — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 22:35:50 -0800

Our house got broken into today. We're thinking the seemingly inevitable thoughts about getting a home security sytstem. So, a couple questions: 1. Are we just overreacting (aka, is getting a security system a bad idea). 2. For anyone who has an experience - any thoughts on which is best and what to avoid? The previous owners of our house had a system by Edison Security, so in particular any experience there would be helpful. I guess we're thinking, at this point, (maybe cooler heads will prevail in the morning) about an electronic style system with an alarm that is sent out if it is tripped. And maybe a dog? Thanks.

Can an average citizen get a fingerprint search performed?

de void — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 12:36:25 -0800

Is there anywhere an average citizen in the U.S. can go to get a fingerprint search performed? Friend recently had his house burgled. Thieves stole, among other things, some audio/video and videogame stuff which required opening a glass cabinet.

He had just cleaned the glass doors the day before, so the only prints on the glass were from the thieves.

The police in a stunning display of disinterest did not dust the fingerprints. Is there anywhere he can go on his own to get a fingerprint search done? (Not sure what he plans to do with the ID(s) if a match is found, maybe provide it to the police to shame them into paying the suspect(s) a visit).

How do I protect myself and my apartment?

lychee — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:41:48 -0800

I moved into my new apartment complex two weeks ago and already there's been one car break-in and one apartment burglary. What can I do to secure my apartment and my personal safety? Checking the police reports, the crime rate in my new location isn't significantly higher than my old place, but two break-ins in two weeks have me very worried. I live in a college student area, and up 'til now I never worried about my safety. I've read up about renter's insurance and making sure your doors and windows are locked at all times. What else can I do to be secure?

Out of the Office Paranoia

TheDonF — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 14:07:54 -0800

[OutOfOfficeParanoiaFilter] I am planning a holiday soon and, over a conversation, a friend gave me a cautionary note about not leaving an out of office autoreply on my mail account as it greatly increased the chance of me being burgled. [+] So I Googled on the subject and found that this seems to have emanated from a December 2002 press release by the Corporate IT Forum (tif.). The whole thing sounds incredibly specious, more like something a company would put out to raise awareness of themselves than anything else. Snopes have an article on the subject and have debunked it, Access Control and Security Systems have it listed as an urban legend, but my friend is insistent that this thing is real - apparently her company also believes this and won't let any external emails be auto-replied to, which seems crazy.

Fellow MeFites, are you aware of any cases where people have been burgled because of an OOO auto-reply? Can I rest easy when I'm away or should I build 20 feet-deep electrified moat around my property? How do you handle your email when away for a week or two?

We've Been Robbed!

40 Watt — Fri, 24 Sep 2004 00:43:57 -0800

So we were burglarized sometime today while we were at work. My wife came home and found the front door open and the rooms completely tossed, just like in the movies. In some ways we're counting ourselves lucky, because they only took two cameras, a couple bottles of vodka, and our fire safe. On the other hand, the safe contained basically everything about us- our passports, our Social Security cards, marriage certificate, titles to the condo and car, photocopies of our credit cards(in case the originals were stolen, natch), bank account info, etc. Two questions: 1) are we fucked? 2) burglar alarm systems...yea or nay? [mi] I just spent the last 5 hours or so changing all the locks in my condo, adding a new heavy deadbolt to the wooden gate at the top of the back steps that open onto our back porch, and adding two new heavy-duty window locks to the kitchen window that the bastards used to climb in through, as well as a homemade improvised window jamb to keep it from being forced open even if they managed to break the locks.

Question 1: We've already called the credit card companies and the bank, as well as the credit bureaus. I know we can get replacements for the passports, marriage and drivers licenses and titles, and I've found info online about getting a new SS card, but just how fucked are we? While I was on the phone with one of the CC companies, the thieves tried to charge something to the card I was calling about, and although it was immediately shut down I'm worried that with our SS numbers and tons of other identifying information they can make things very miserable for a long time, maybe the rest of our lives. Is this so? Anyone have any experience with identity theft?

Question 2: All of the police who showed up (two beat cops who were very polite and professional, two evidence investigators, and a campus police oficer [we live in Hyde Park in Chicago, near the University of Chicago]) told us the best thing is to install an alarm system. I've done a little looking in the last 15 minutes and the prices aren't THAT horrible, but is it worth it?

Sorry for the long-winded post....