Confronted a suspicious guy yesterday

[ilikegunspdx]

I am posting this so you guys know what creeps are lurking around and a couple things I noticed that may help ID them and their methods. Skip to 3rd paragraph if u only want those observations.

Yesterday I got an alert on my phone on the ring cam for the front door. When I checked I didn't see anything on the front porch but I saw a guy going up the side of the house on the edge of the ring cam video. I opened the window of the second story room I was in and said/yelled? sternly "this is private property, LEAVE NOW!" I had a double barrel 12 gauge in hand which I did not show to him. He said, "do you know where to find...?" I immediately slammed the window to let him know I was not going to listen to him. He turned and left as I eyeballed him with gun in hand.

I have a video of it from the Ring Cam which I will not post on this public forum. This happened in late morning on a sunny day. On the video u can see that the guy walked up the steps with a round cookie tin in right hand and what appeared to be a glass breaker in left hand. He looked slowly and carefully all around base of steps where a person normally keeps a key hidden under a rock or similar (I do not). He then walked up the side of the house eyeballing all basement windows (which have protection from breaking in). When I opened the window he started looking at the ground like he was looking for something (a practiced response I'm sure). After I confronted him verbally he went into some kind of practiced response, " Do you know where..." In other words, "I'm just an innocent looking for help" BS. The guy looked scummy with black coat, beige backpack and dirty ball cap and unkempt hair.

It is my feeling that the ringcam was a vital help in this. Allows one to see the problem early and nip it in the bud before it becomes a real problem. Most of these scums are cowards and will not mess with a place they know they are likely to be confronted/not an easy target. Like Col. Jeff Cooper said, "Hyenas always want to attack you from behind". I did order no trespassing signs to put up and I think scary signs is another passive way to let them know they are likely to be confronted if they think you are an easy target. Another small deterrence is I leave the blinds on the front door and windows not lowered all the way down so that is difficult for someone to see in (they do this to see if house is empty so they can break in).

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[Nosferatu]

Call the police. They won't do anything, but getting a report in may help your or a neighbors case should someone get broken into.

 

[Labradorian]

The combat engineer in me would want to get out the rolls of concertina.

I saw a guy trolling my neighborhood the other day too so it's everywhere.

 

[Mikej]

I saw a guy trolling my neighborhood the other day too so it's everywhere.

A LOT of people walking down the street in front of my house, in this hood, look like the guy described by @ilikegunspdx . But then we have tents and trashed out trailers and mini vans surrounded by garbage, with people living in them in this hood too.

Maybe he was just looking for a private place to take a dump?

 

[tdawg]

Glad it turned out alright. People wonder why I have a Winchester 94 hanging on the wall behind me in my zoom meetings... perfect example of why

 

[CRBMoA]

We had a couple of youth, maybe 12-15 yrs old, come by the house and ring the bell and when my wife opened the door they just introduced themselves last week. Didn't ask if we had kids to play with, I have never seen them before, I saw no cars or adults, but my wife handled the door so I could not follow up.

I live on a block long dead end on the way to no where and not particularly easy to get to unless you actually live in the neighborhood because of geography. Kids don't just appear out of nowhere.

I told her, "We have just been cased.".

 

[ilikegunspdx]

We had a couple of youth, maybe 12-15 yrs old, come by the house and ring the bell and when my wife opened the door they just introduced themselves last week. Didn't ask if we had kids to play with, I have never seen them before, I saw no cars or adults, but my wife handled the door so I could not follow up.

I live on a block long dead end on the way to no where and not particularly easy to get to unless you actually live in the neighborhood because of geography. Kids don't just appear out of nowhere.

I told her, "We have just been cased.".

About 10 years back I had a young kid maybe 8-10? years old knock on the door of our old house. He had a big messenger bag on his shoulder. He said he was lost and could he use the phone. He was not convincing. At all. I told him no and shut the door. I watched him through the window and he walked about half a block where his Mom was waiting in a gold taurus. Him and 2 other kids all piled in and they drove off. I guess they all fan out through the neighborhood, ask to use the phone and grab anything they can while they r inside.

 

[JohnnyMac]

You need to keep a set of those plastic buck teeth next to the shotgun. Then you put those teeth in and poke your head out the window with a big smile and shotgun in plain site, and say, (spoken as country bumpkin as you can muster) "If'n y'all come round back, I'll help ya's find whatcha lookin' for right out there yonder by the big ol hole I done dug yesterday...by the way, you sure gotta purdy mouth."

 

[Mikej]

I told him no and shut the door.

I got those young pretty people in those nice blue T-shirts and hats marked "Blue Sky" coming by may place, and I treat them the same way! But I give tell them what I think of their blue sky bubblegum first.

 

[Dinglenutz]

I used to have a fence around my house. Once a guy came in anyway and asked if I had his iPhone. Now I have a fence and a dog.

 

[waltermitty]

I used to have a fence around my house. Once a guy came in anyway and asked if I had his iPhone. Now I have a fence and a dog.

I've posted this in an earlier thread: 3 yutes came and rang the bell. I didn't answer. Few minutes later the rear, kitchen door
began splintering in. I confronted them as they crossed the threshold. They retreated.

I now have a 6' fence, perimeter sensors, a solid core door with steel frame.....and a house mate

 

[The Heretic]

About 10 years back I had a young kid maybe 8-10? years old knock on the door of our old house. He had a big messenger bag on his shoulder. He said he was lost and could he use the phone. He was not convincing. At all. I told him no and shut the door. I watched him through the window and he walked about half a block where his Mom was waiting in a gold taurus. Him and 2 other kids all piled in and they drove off. I guess they all fan out through the neighborhood, ask to use the phone and grab anything they can while they r inside.

That situation is where vid surveillance would possibly be a help to capture a license number and report to the police. They probably would not do anything, but OTOH they might pass it on to the appropriate unit as data to be used at a later time.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

When your gut/intuition tells you somethibg is amiss.. its usually right. Subconsciously our brains process all the things we're experiencing and taking into account without itemizing it then and there, thus we know something is "off".

Im terrible at remembering names, so I often write my neighbors names (and some phone numbers) down in my phone. That way I can text them if I see their vehicle lights on, a front door wide open, someone on their porch looking at a package thats on the door step.
My only suggestion, ask their name (he'll probably lie) but also if you know your neighbors name(s) you could ask who he is looking for, it cuts thru the guesswork.. if he takes a swing at a name and its a total miss.. then your intuition was spot on. Then again knowing a name doesnt mean much.. he could be a stalker of a lady or a theif that knows whoever lives there isn't home. But either way you get some dialog with the person. But its better than nothing.

 

[dave peoples]

I don't even have a doorbell. by the time someone gets on my front walk, my dogs are going off like crazed banshees wanting to tear someone a new one. so far every one has turned and scurried off. I really love my dogs. Haven't had to deal with unwanted visitors for years.

 

[TTSX]

I catch thieves, looky loos and suspicious people about twice a year in my neighborhood. It's always never their fault, they were just looking for something/passing by. Or they want to use a cell phone charger/go to the bathroom, whatever. It's annoyingly common and I'm glad you resolved your situation quickly without incident

 

[Prefontaine]

This is why I have secret tiger pits on my property.

 

[solv3nt]

I used to have a fence around my house. Once a guy came in anyway and asked if I had his iPhone. Now I have a fence and a dog.

I'm confused, did you have his iphone and he gave you a dog?

 

[Member 5605]

Let us not forget about these guys but the salesmen/women who want to spot clean carpet (then use restroom to get eye of household).

Glad you caught that fool at the pass. I've caught quite a bit of stuff on my cameras. I don't have them set to alert though. They roll and record 24/7, day, night and everything between.

 

[dave peoples]

I would trade my phone for a fence and another dog any day!

 

[Dinglenutz]

I'm confused, did you have his iphone and he gave you a dog?

Exactly. Very positive, would buy again.