Scary Incident Last Night

[mkwerx]

Was sitting in my living room last night (Sunday night), wrapping guides onto a fly rod I am rebuilding, had the TV on in the background, and my son was sitting on the couch behind me. My wife was in our bedroom laying down. Then my front door knob began to rattle, then the lock started rattling, sounding like someone was trying to gain entry. I think whoever it was realized that the house was not empty, or at least that we were awake. Shouldn't have been hard to figure out - big windows on either side of the door had the blinds pulled open (I was watching to see how the thaw was coming) - the TV is visible from one window, and the living room lights were on. By the time I got the boy to the bedroom and grabbed a gun, whoever it was was long gone. Tracks in the snow lead from our road (Hwy 8) into our driveway, past the far side of my vehicle, and then a bee line right to my front door.

Since whoever it was was no longer trying to gain entry, I got dressed (was not dressed for going outside), had my wife keep our son in the bedroom and a pistol at ready. I went out to investigate the tracks and see if the vehicle had been tampered with (no sign that it had) and to see if there were any other tracks around the house.

Whoever it was was either really damn stupid, or really damn ballsy for what they did. This isn't the first problem we've had either - about two weeks ago, some jackwagon siphoned 40 gallons of diesel out of the driver side fuel tank on my tow truck, which gets parked literally 3 feet from my bedroom window, and they had to have done it while we were sleeping. The way our house sits to our driveway (and how poorly insulated it is - we can hear what goes on outside pretty well) we can see our driveway from the living room.

I'm surprised the fuel thief didn't wake me or my wife up given the proximity of the truck to our bedroom window.

Was discussing last night's incident w/ my boss today - and I think I'm going to take his suggestion and install a few motion activated lights. I'm also going to start looking for some security cameras. We installed anti-siphon tubes in the truck's fuel tanks last week, so hopefully that crap won't happen again.

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[Fast Eddie]

For as much activity as you have going on around your house, you might consider packing in the house. It seems a little strange at first, then it feels normal after after a while.

 

[Trailboss]

Sorry to hear this but glad you and your family are safe.

 

[WebRat]

Glad to hear everything turned out ok. I also have been thinking of getting security cameras set up. Newegg has some but not sure what ones would be best. Security Surveillance Cameras, IP Camera Systems - Newegg.com

I saw this tonight on Fox 12 news Longview man stops attempted home invasion - KPTV - FOX 12 That perp is lucky the home owner had a bat and not a shotgun behind the door.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Get yourself Blue Iris software for your PC ($40) and 1080p cameras such as the HIKvision 2032 models ($175-$199). Do it right the first time, don't bother with low resolution cameras.

Everything you need here <broken link removed>

Go to China direct for your stuff - best prices - everything is made there anyway and we are already toast so what's the diff ---- http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale...&catId=301102&initiative_id=AS_20140211135839

 

[CoastRange57]

For as much activity as you have going on around your house, you might consider packing in the house. It seems a little strange at first, then it feels normal after after a while.

After a couple of the problems I have had with the local transient tweakers and riff raff, I am seldom more than 10 feet from a weapon if not on me. My chair in the living room has my LED light and 9mm on the table beside me, and an assortment of guns at locations in the house. The noise an Aussie Pit mix, a Lab Shepard mix and a German Shepard make if the door handle rattles is pretty impressive as well.

 

[SVT-ROY]

I carry in the house for this reason, some idiot has no clue what there getting into, they might think your an easy mark. Hell,last incident I heard an odd noise and went out to find a tweaker in my driveway on a mountain bike. I lit him up with the X300 and told him beat feet or I'll put a knife in your hand. I got a new mountain bike! Well a new cheapo, I sold for 50 at the flea market. Put the fear in them and they will move on and warn the other tweaks....dude don't, crazy, large, angry ......

 

[The Heretic]

Was discussing last night's incident w/ my boss today - and I think I'm going to take his suggestion and install a few motion activated lights. I'm also going to start looking for some security cameras. We installed anti-siphon tubes in the truck's fuel tanks last week, so hopefully that crap won't happen again.

This.

I have added two motion activated battery powered LED flood lights outside - one on the side of the house, one over the vehicle door to the shop. A third one will go on a tree overlooking the driveway between the shop and the house.

No problems - so far - with prowlers up here - although I do find the occasional trash along the private road suggesting someone drives up and down it who doesn't live on the road, and I have found a couple of win jugs in the forest and a liquor bottle (possibly neighbor kids?). Neighbor dogs bark when I so much as close my house door. But it doesn't hurt.

I don't like to leave outside lights on all the time, it just announces that there is a house here (I am on a mountain with forest around me) and what is out in the yard/etc. (usually nothing). Motion lights may spook prowlers enough to think maybe someone has observed them.

Surveillance cams are good, even if after the fact.

I have an AC powered one that I haven't installed yet. Get one with infrared lights or it is pretty much no good in the dark. Hide at least most of them or they will be disabled or even stolen. If you want some to be visible as a deterrent, you can use fake ones and/or ones that store/send video to the internet.

I am going to get some battery operated ones, maybe some that use POE (Power Over Ethernet) for remote ones. It helps to have ones outside looking towards the house to cover blind spots in addition to ones on or inside the house looking out. I am going to put some down around the shop too.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Time for cameras and driveway sensors.
Glad everyone was alright though.

 

[The Heretic]

My lights go on from time to time - it is usually the neighbor dog coming over for her biscuit treat (that is how I made friends with her - very timid dog that barks a lot, even on my own property - now she is very friendly with me).

 

[mkwerx]

For as much activity as you have going on around your house, you might consider packing in the house. It seems a little strange at first, then it feels normal after after a while.

90% of the time I do, typically when I'm dressed I have my gun on me. But the snowpocylpse we just had had me out of work for 3 extra days (snow started on one of my days off) - and by my 5th day off, I was sitting about in sweats or long johns most of the time. I had a gun close to hand - my main concern first was getting my 2 year old into the bedroom vs. in the line of fire should bad stuff unfold.

My wife also has a handgun close at hand, if not on her person when I'm not home.

He stayed safe in the bedroom with mom, and I switched up from my handgun to an AR with a mounted light and red dot sight while I checked things out. I could scope most of the driveway and yards from the house - the big windows in the living room suck for energy loss, but they do allow us to see maybe 60 or 70% of what's around the house.

I think part of the reason we've had the issues we've had - is we live directly off the highway, within half a mile from the city limits. Three blocks west and you're out of city and into farm land. Lots of small streets to duck off into to the east of us, fields and forests to run off to to the west of us.

Burt, when I get home I'm going to check out the link you sent and look at the cam systems. My boss just installed security cams at his place - we had a GPS and AAA issued phone stolen from a truck in his driveway because he forgot to take them inside with him. He lives at the end of a long dead end street, another ballsy crook. He went with a dedicated DVR setup and night vision capable cams with motion sensors. Not sure how much he spent on that set up.

 

[teflon6string]

I carry in the house for this reason, some idiot has no clue what there getting into, they might think your an easy mark. Hell,last incident I heard an odd noise and went out to find a tweaker in my driveway on a mountain bike. I lit him up with the X300 and told him beat feet or I'll put a knife in your hand. I got a new mountain bike! Well a new cheapo, I sold for 50 at the flea market. Put the fear in them and they will move on and warn the other tweaks....dude don't, crazy, large, angry ......

Perhaps that bike was registered to the poor sap he stole it from?

 

[Nwcid]

Also if you want to be alerted in the house, assuming you can not see the outside lights, you could run a jumper wire from the motion light into the house. In the house you could have another socket with a low power, or colored bulb, to alert you when the outside lights come on..........

 

[2506]

Might want to consider a dog as well. Great first alert and a barking dog tends to make Methy and Cracky look elsewhere.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Camera info above; LED Battery powered lights - get the MR BEAM 300-lumen units that take D-cells, lasts a year; for perimeter/driveway alert go with the Dakota Alerts Murs transmitters/base/walkies.

I live in decent neighborhood, but when you approach my house at night - LOL ... let's just say I know where you are and what you look like, what you are saying ....

Comes from owning a small security company years ago.

 

[Dallas Ken]

If your car is so equipped hit the horn and flash the lights if you believe someone is prowling around.

 

[rufus]

Camera info above; LED Battery powered lights - get the MR BEAM 300-lumen units that take D-cells, lasts a year; for perimeter/driveway alert go with the Dakota Alerts Murs transmitters/base/walkies.

I live in decent neighborhood, but when you approach my house at night - LOL ... let's just say I know where you are and what you look like, what you are saying ....

Comes from owning a small security company years ago.

I should hire you to come outfit my house. No kidding...

 

[3MTA3]

Here's another route - spray paint a chalk outline of a body complete with bullet holes and a TV, then scatter some used .44 mag brass around - something like this:



Maybe not as effective as other measures above, but certainly a lot more fun

 

[clearconscience]

Maybe try putting up a couple game cams. They are cheap only on when someone sets them off, easily concealable, works day or night?

And you can use them for hunting!
I've seen a couple stories on the news about people using these to catch thieves

 

[jim97701]

I'm of the opinion that the prowler knew you were home and did'nt care!, If your door had not been locked you most likely would have had a very bad night. I live in a pretty good area and I still have a revolver within arms reach everywhere I go in my house, You never know when one of those ballsy, punk tweakers will decide that they want to pay you a visit and borrow some of your stuff. one night a few years back I heard very rapid gunfire that sounded like it was in my back yard! My wife was asleep and I was up on the computer. She came out and said what was that! I told her it was gunfire and to stay in the middle of the house away from the windows while I checked it out. I was armed with my P89 that night and did a quick check out in all directions and did'nt see anything. I called 911 and all they would tell me is that the Police were aware of the situation and that there was no danger. The next morning I found out that it was a cop shooting and that he fired 11 rounds into a vehicle and killed an unarmed man 3 houses from mine!. He said he thought the guy was reaching for a gun so he fired (turned out, it was a lighter). But no worries, he was'nt in any trouble as it was ruled "justified" by his buddies and all was well. (the guy shot was hispanic and was'nt following directions and was acting suspicious, I wonder how good he understood English).