Caught an Intruder

[MasseyWV]

That is good that your home is seldom unattended. I would pay attention to who is scoping you out when you drive by. Be aware they may be casing for an invasion with you at home. I would consider the silent alarms as a quick early warning system. I would also make sure I had a weapon available in the shop/garage. If you are being watched and they are going to invade when you are there its better to be prepared. I know a lot of people may think it all sounds extreme but living rural means that the police are not likely close and you need to be prepared. Early warning could be your friend. I have dogs and thy are worth the weight for early warning.

Buying another gun is something I've been considering for a while now and you make a very good point about me being caught over at my garage without my gun. It doesn't take much to imagine how things might have turned out if the guy had been armed. My wife and I were both caught totally off guard and that scares the heII out of me. It will not happen again.

 

[k0ua]

Far better to overreact and nothing ever happen than under react and become a statistic.. He KNEW you were there, All of you. You did not know he was there, until he was finally noticed. How long was he there? for what purpose? You may never know.. Do the prudent things others have mentioned.. and keep the pistol in your pocket. Be a boy-scout. Be prepared.

James K0UA

 

[vwnotrunning]

If all occupants do not have some understanding of self defense / training - it may be time for a discussion. But I cannot get my own wife to understand this importance. She thinks it is just my job to take care of that.

 

[newbury]

Lot's of good suggestions.

My favorite is the BBD security firm - Big Black Dog - we had a black Lab that weighed about 95lbs. Scary as all get out to have it coming at you on a dark night, all you saw were the red eyes.

I also favor Guinea Fowl, they also control insects.

I like stepping out on my front or back deck and firing my Mossberg 535 12 gauge into the trees at random times, usually I use the cheap 2 3/4, but I occasionally throw in a 3 1/2 for the bigger bang. I learned this custom from a guy that would step out on his front porch and fire his pistol "Just to let them know I'm here".

Just make sure your guns are kept so only YOU (or your wife) can use them.

 

[MasseyWV]

I know it is fresh in your mind and you feel like you need to take immediate action but it might be prudent not to over react. You stated yourself that it would be stupid for him to come back. For all he knows, your wife got a good look at him and he is waiting for the police to show up at his doorstep.

I mention this because it would be quite an undertaking to set something up for perimeter detection. Expensive to say the least and no doubt there will always be holes in the system that are easily discovered if the guy was intent. Remember the guy whose watercraft stalled on a lake and he had to hoof it past a multi-million dollar detection system to get help from the international airport? Gives you an idea how hard it is. I would post several signs around the property and keep due diligence for awhile. Probably a local teenager.

I know it may seem as if I'm overreacting, but in my area crystal meth use has been a severe problem that has led to many braizen acts such as home invasion, robbery, and even murder. This may not the crime capitol of the USA, but there is real danger and it's on the local news almost every day. Granted, I have no way of knowing who the person was or what they intended, but I can't afford to take chances. I detest violence, but when I pit my feelings against the possibility of being robbed or killed, my choice is clear.

Far better to overreact and nothing ever happen than under react and become a statistic.. He KNEW you were there, All of you. You did not know he was there, until he was finally noticed. How long was he there? for what purpose? You may never know.. Do the prudent things others have mentioned.. and keep the pistol in your pocket. Be a boy-scout. Be prepared.

Absolutely. While I don't know exactly what I'll do, I know I must do something. And your point of him knowing we were here mirrors what I've been thinking since this happened. He knew, and I didn't. For all I know, he could have been there for hours, and may have been there before without my wife and I knowing it. But the questions that keep ringing in my mind are... What did he want? Will he return?

If all occupants do not have some understanding of self defense / training - it may be time for a discussion. But I cannot get my own wife to understand this importance. She thinks it is just my job to take care of that.

My wife used to think the same way, but I think this "event" has changed her mind.

 

[MasseyWV]

Just make sure your guns are kept so only YOU (or your wife) can use them.

Absolutely. I want my wife and I to be able to protect ourselves if needed, but I could not live with myself if someone were to be accidentally hurt or killed with one of my guns. As a result, I take gun safety very seriously.

 

[2458n]

The worst part about this is you feel violated. I know the feeling as I found a new and used battery missing today. They were setting next to a 100ft. 12gauge electric cord. Some other valuable stuff was also over looked. Now I am worried about leaving the place for fear they will return with more help to haul stuff off. Bad feeling. Lived here 30 years and in the past I had kind of a rep. Did not half to worry about things like this- and usually knew someone who knew what had happened. Went from a rot to a newfe and all big black dogs are not the same.

 

[sixdogs]

Could the guy have just been a Peeping Tom? I don't mean "just" but that's less than a potential intruder.

 

[Misfire]

Just wondering, have you mentioned this incident to the owner of the neighboring property where the man seems to have come from and ran back to? If nothing else, he would have been trespassing on that land too, and that owner should also be interested. Then there could be the possibility that he was an invited guest over there who happened to stray across the property border.

 

[swick1]

I understand about the meth heads. I live in Huntington and its scary the type of people who walk the streets at night. I am not allowed to have a gun at work but I carry a knife all the time in case I can't escape and I keep a shotgun in my bedroom with a German shepherd for an alarm. I get a false alarm just about every night but I still get up to check it out every time.

 

[savageactor7]

Some guy lurking in the bushes and making a hasty retreat when spotted would certainly freak us out too. We have unposted acreage and over the years have spotted folks walking threw for hunting and have no problem with that...but imo to flee when spotted so close to the house means you're up to no good.

 

[wedge40]

I agree with camera's, camera's, camera's. Also like others have said learn your state laws about personal protection. If you're not sure you could shoot someone or worse kill someone then dont get a gun.

Wedge

 

[riptides]

IS your property posted?

 

[forgeblast]

A friend of ours took his family out for breakfast and someone kicked in the front door and stole as much as they could get. they were only gone an hour.
When we replaced our doors we went with the strikemaster 2 system.
strikemaster 2 - Google Search
and longer stainless steel screws in the hinges.
I dont want to be sitting watching tv and have someone kick in my door.

 

[MotorSeven]

If the guy was there after dark, that is a big concern. Most residential burglary's occur during daytime hours when they know no one is at home. For him to be there when he knew you were there most likely means he has ulterior motives. I'm not trying to scare you, but non burglary/theft motives are extremely dangerous. Deal with this quickly and thoroughly, get recording cameras up high and black out their "red light" if equipped. Put dummy cameras down where he can see them. Motion lights are always good. Arm yourself even in the house and make frequent unscheduled patrols of your property.

Go out during the day and take a real slow walk along his suspected path. Don't only look for foot prints, look at the vegetation, grass bent over or crushed, dislodged rocks....humans leave a trail. When and if you find his entry point smooth out some dirt so any future track will be left and easily seen. An camouflaged game camera watching this area would be a good idea. You will have to get creative to keep any camera hidden, but it can be done.

I know you want to chase him off and not have a confrontation. But....this type of guy will move on only to find another victim. At least if you can identify him in a photo, then LE has a chance to catch him.

 

[Domush]

Could the guy have just been a Peeping Tom? I don't mean "just" but that's less than a potential intruder.

+1 to this. If the guy was scoping the house, why would he approach with someone outside? Makes no sense. Might have just been curious and gotten caught being so. It happens. I had someone walk right across my property, straight line like, while I was entertaining one afternoon. Sometimes people have it in their heads if they aren't damaging/ stealing anything it isn't illegal. To an extent, they are correct. Almost nobody prosecutes for simple trespassing. The person may have simply been walking and stopped "for the show".

He could have been a mass murderer, but what is more likely, really?

Enjoy your day, lock your doors for a while, give it no more thought. After all, even if he was there to case your house, he'll case the next place instead, a place where they haven't seen him and suspect nothing. An alert owner is too risky for most crooks. There are plenty of easier targets to be had.

Sorry I didn't give you a reason to build an arsenal of weapons and bury land mines, with a perimeter of lethal attack dogs which haven't been fed in weeks, but I like to think most people aren't deserving of death for taking a walk, trespassing or not.

Live is too short to be paranoid.


Sent from my SCH-I500 using TractorByNet

 

[DKCDKC]

Make friends with some hunters. I'm a mile off the road - too far the average lazy thief - and I have dogs and personal protection. But I also have several great hunters who are frequently on the land scouting, just enjoying a walk or hunting. Nothing repels the unwanted trespasser more than encounters with guys with guns who ask who you are etc.

 

[dmccarty]

Nighttime lighting is relatively good around my property right now, but the spot where my wife saw the guy happens to be one of the few dark areas remaining. It's something I plan to address very soon.

Was this during the day or night?

Later,
Dan

 

[TripleR]

It is not paranoid to take reasonable precautions and be prepared in case of an intruder no matter how unlikely it may seem.

 

[Obed]

How far from your house was the guy on the "edge of the property"?