This is topic Its a miracle I wasn't murdered a while ago, and my car vandalized last night. in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.
My friend Steve saved my life by asking me to watch his dogs at his place last night.
Five young men with ski-masks and bandanas broke into my house late last night with a shotgun, knives, and a 9mm glock.
They stole my brother's katana, his butterfly knife, and a jar of marijuana. (I hate pot, but my brother and his friends smoke it all the time)
Since we were robbed earlier this year, I keep a half of a hockey stick in my room. I also stay up extremely late. Being me, and not being afraid of anything, I would have heard them break in, and would have waited at the bottom of the stairs with my stick. Somehow I doubt I could have survived against two guns though.
We didn't even notice anything was missing, since what they took wasn't anything my brother cared about. I guess it wasn't even much pot. Since I'm planning on moving soon, I have a box in my room with over 1500 dollars worth of electronics in it. A smart thief would have taken that.
They weren't particularly smart though, since they were caught while still in our driveway . A cop pulled in and saw one of them with his knife out. He arrested three on the spot, and they know who the other two are. They will tell us who did it when they catch them. I'm not sure why the sheriff waited till 4AM to come talk to us about it, but I was still up so I don't care.
[ August 30, 2003, 04:52 PM: Message edited by: Xavier ]
Posted by Emperor Palpatine (Member # 3544) on :
Wow.
Posted by tonguetied&twisted (Member # 5159) on :
I'm glad you're ok! (((((Xavier))))) Was anyone in your house at the time?
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Xavier!
Wow!
I'm glad you weren't home. Being murdered is no fun. I should know! Well, not really. But I can only imagine.
Anyway, I'm glad you're not out anything important.
I assume your brother won't be reporting the loss of the pot. Duh! Just imagine if the police had actually caught them while breaking in. At that point, they would've naturally searched the house to make sure no more robbers were inside. Found the brother's dope...
Hmm...
In my state, they use the drug seizure laws quite effectively. Not that I like this particular law enforcement tactic, but there are sheriffs, especially, who delight in confiscating all property involved in drug "trafficking" (broadly defined as the presence of any drugs). That means they can take your house. For finding pot there.
We've had cases where they watch the drug buy, follow the car to the house, wait for the guy to go out in his boat, etc., etc. Then confiscate the whole shootin' match.
Anyway, I'm glad you're safe.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
No one was home, thank God.
The three that got caught apparently were extremely honest with the police, so they were the ones who told them they broke in to steal the pot.
The cop told my brother it was one of the things stolen, and told him that they didn't care about him having it. Zach's not entirely stupid though, so he refused to admit to it being his in his statement. Hopefully that doesn't interfere with the prosecution any.
He brings this element into his life though by doing what he does. The kids obviously knew he had it, and that he normally has enough worth stealing. I hope he takes it as a wake-up call, and the cop told him the same thing. His words were "You lie with dogs, you wake up with flees" or something to that effect. He's right too.
Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :
Wow! I'm glad no one was hurt. I hope those little thugs get what's coming to them in the court system. Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
Wow, Xavier, take care of yourself !
Posted by Dead_Horse (Member # 3027) on :
Good for you for volunteering to take care of Steve's dogs when he asked! Hope your brother learns something from all this. Glad you're not dead.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Glad you're okay, man.
Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
Whoa X, I'm with you!
I keep a baseball bat instead of a hockey stick though. I could have easily wound up with a bullet ridden corpse had I been there as well. I don't reason very well when woken from a sound sleep, and, coupled with a break in, I think I would see red.... Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
(((((( Xavier ))))))
We need a wipes sweat off of brow smilie.
Hobbes Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Xavier! Holy crap!
(((Xav))) I'm so glad you're okay!
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Some people don't agree, but that's exactly the reason why I'd really love to have a gun in my house. My husband doesn't want one because he doesn't know how to use it, but I grew up in law enforcement and our motto was, "If you're not paranoid, you're dead.) I learned how to use a gun at eight years old. Meanwhile, my husband has a wooden bokken by the bed. Can you see him running into a bunch of punks with guns, armed only with that thing? The only good it's for outside of training would be cracking a bad guy over the head. And you better crack them all, or you're sunk. Wow, that got off topic really fast. Thank the Lord you're okay and I hope those guys GO TO JAIL! Posted by Sho'nuff (Member # 3214) on :
quote:Five young men with ski-masks and bandanas broke into my house late last night with a shotgun, knives, and a 9mm glock.
just a question...but who the heck breaks into a house to steal pot loaded up with that kind of ammo? I mean seriously. And if they knew your brother would they really have been willing to shoot somebody? Do you know if their guns were loaded? Craziness.
Glad you're ok man.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
Glad you're OK, Xavier.
I collect medieval weapons. I always thought if someone broke in, I'd grab my longsword and run down the stairs. I figure the sight of me running down the stairs in my underwear waving a sword around would freak them out enough to send them packing.
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
Am I the only one who'd just pretend to be asleep and hope to God nobody decides to maim my defenceless body?
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 619) on :
Wth all this talk about guns, Bob, I think you're the smartest one around. Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
Good Heavens! Living in the city, and having been home during a break-in, I can understand how you must feel. Glad you're OK. Hope you recover and can move soon. I know I didn't sleep four hours connected without waking up in a panic for six months after my experience.
Posted by martha (Member # 141) on :
Xavier, I think Steve is the sixth culprit, a conspirator who happened to have a personal investment in this particular crime, which is why he didn't go with his cohorts, and made sure that you were out of harm's way.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
Holy crap, glad you are okay. Between you and m. bowles, lots of crazy stuff happening. I'm with BTL, I wouldn't actually attack anybody, especially if I was unsure of what sort of weaponry they had (although zgator's idea is cool).
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
quote:Am I the only one who'd just pretend to be asleep and hope to God nobody decides to maim my defenceless body?
No kidding! You are MUCH more likely to die if you try to take them on. There is nothing you own that is worth more than your life.
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
Glad you are okay, Xavier. What a scary situation!
**Ela**
Posted by Sho'nuff (Member # 3214) on :
quote:There is nothing you own that is worth more than your life.
you haven't seen my dvd collection. Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
quote: If you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
Good thing you had to go lie down with a dog, or you may not have woken at all.
I agree that hiding is better than charging into battle against unknown odds. Even waiving a gun at the culprits is dangerous. If they are armed as these were, you suddenly are no longer a threat. You are a target.
The Bandana's and big weaponry make me think of a gang hit. The Pot and the theft of the sword and knife, and the quick "Good" behavior when facing the police makes me think this was a group of kids trying to be mean gang-bangers.
The were not harmless, just extremely niave, and ignorant. With a Glok, that is almost as dangerous as someone who knows what they are doig.
Posted by asQmh (Member # 4590) on :
Very glad you didn't die yesterday. It would have severely dimmed my birthday.
Seriously, though - I don't know what to say. The fact that it could have been is scary enough.
Q.
[ August 18, 2003, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: asQmh ]
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
((((Xav))))
Geez, I'm glad you're OK! It's no use thinking what you would have done if you were there, so don't. (shudders)
But as long as we're on the topic, I'm pretty much an expert on moving silently in my own house, so I think I'd check it out before I went after them with my bokken... But then, I don't really have anything worth stealing... (Except maybe my Escaflowne wallscroll)
And also, regardless of whether they had a gun or not, I doubt they would have killed you over something so stupid, but I guess you never know what could happen in the panic of the moment. I'm glad that we will never know what could have happened... (worries)
Posted by kwsni (Member # 1831) on :
Glad you're ok, Xav.
Ni!
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
so glad you're okay!
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
Dude, Xav... wowwie!!
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
I've always been amazed when folks who own a sword or whatnot assume that they are prepared to defend their homes. Running downstairs in your underwear wielding a sword most likely won't scare people out of your house. What it will get you is a stupid looking corpse.
Having a sword and being able to use it are such waaaaay different things. And in most people's homes, they start swinging and they'll hit: a lamp, the cieling, the wall, themselves, the dog, a couch. Heck, I've got a ton of old-style melee weapons but I sure wouldn't grab a flail and wade out into the house to come to battle.
I'd grab a telephone, lock the bedroom door and then a pistol (if I had one).
Once upon a time, you could guarantee that a burglar wouldn't have a gun. Burglars didn't carry any weapons because they knew if they did, the prison sentence would be a mandatory 10 years longer if they were caught. They weren't out to kill, anyway, they'd grab some easy loot and then get out. Today, well, burglars aren't professionals anymore. They're like those street punk kids. They are more than happy to unload a gat in you if you get in the way. Sad, tragic, true. A teenager with a weapon committing a crime is about as dangerous as it can get.
And back to an earlier thing, see folks forget there's a reason mankind left behind most melee weapons in favor of firearms for self defense. Those old swords, axes, knives, maces, they all took a lot of practice, a good teacher and real muscles to use. They also took a lot of guts to get face to face with your opponent. Firearms, outside of long-distance shooting, are pretty much just point and bang. Just remember: rifles are for hunting, shotguns are for defending your land and pistols for defending yourself. (Rifles shoot through walls, shotguns fire indiscriminately and pistols aren't worth it for ranges more than 10 yards most times).
And Xav, move out. He's your brother, but he's gonna get ya killed. I sure don't want to hear that you've had a closer call than this one.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
Sopwith, I was joking. Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
"Eek" is right. Imagine being that armed just to steal a couple of things! Does that mean they were prepared to shoot if they saw someone, just to stop being found out??? Scary thought!
Why else would you carry arms for a petty theft? It seems that the thought processes of these people were weren't working at all. (As opposed to a little, if they had broken in without weapons.)
Glad you are okay.
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
Hehehe, Z, I know ya were, but you'd be amazed how many folks wouldn't be...
It's the old line about the guy who went in to see a Bruce Lee film and came out itching for a fight with someone... he's recovering nicely now and should be eating solid foods, someday.
As a long-time gamer, I've seen so many guys who bought a "wicked lookin'" sword off of the Home Shopping Network, took in a couple of episodes of Highlander and now they are "Ready For The Bad Guys." You can always pick them out at conventions wearing a sword, speaking Klingon and wondering if they'll ever get a gal down into the basement of their parent's house.
They still think in terms of Orcs and Dragons, bandits on the road, rather than the reality of desperate youths with thousand-yard stares, no future and no value on your life, much less their own.
It's a sad, sad world some days and people do get shot and killed now and then for no good reason.
[ August 18, 2003, 03:24 PM: Message edited by: Sopwith ]
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
o_O
Holy crap, Xav!
Smack your brother around, okay?
I've no idea what I'd do if I was in that situation and was confronted with a Glock. I mean, I wish I had a Glock of my own. But...it depends on my mood, I think. If I'm more mixed, I might ask the burglar to shoot me anyway, I've been suicidal for months. If I'm okay or hypomanic, I suppose I'd run out the other door, or to my neighbor's place and call the cops.
*shrug*
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
quote: Once upon a time, you could guarantee that a burglar wouldn't have a gun. Burglars didn't carry any weapons because they knew if they did, the prison sentence would be a mandatory 10 years longer if they were caught.
Er...I don't know what state you're in, but in Florida, this situation still exists. I think in many states it is the norm. If it is in your state, it just underlines the sheer, jaw-dropping, animal stupidity of these people. They were going to steal the equivalent of, at most, a couple hundred dollars worth of stuff and now they are looking at ten years in *prison*. Jebus Chrift. Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
quote: But...it depends on my mood, I think. If I'm more mixed, I might ask the burglar to shoot me anyway, I've been suicidal for months.
You know, I can come over to your house, dress up like a burglar, and give you dinner and a spanking.
Well, I know I would feel better afterwards. Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
See, I'm a believer in shooting them. I have a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. I would pick up whichever seemed best, probaby the shotgun, load it, and shoot them. It might be more dangerous than rolling over and playing dead, but it makes for a neighborhood with a lot fewer burglars in it when people do that.
I consider it highly rude to come into my house without being invited. If you do it in the middle of the night with ill intent, you are likely not to get a chance to learn better manners.
If you act non-threatening I might not shoot you, or I might not shoot to kill. But I don't really count on being able to keep control of the situation so I might just go ahead and shoot you dead to be extra safe.
[ August 18, 2003, 06:36 PM: Message edited by: ak ]
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Er, if see they are carrying a glock, I don't care if they are wearing halos and have armored themselves in baby seals. I'm shooting if I have a gun and I have the drop on them.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Saxon-
I think what Sop meant is that, even though you still get a longer sentence for being caught with a weapon, teenagers just don't care and will carry the gun anyway. They're more concerned with being caught in the first place and just dumb enough to try and shoot their way out of something.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Stormy, you just TRY and spank me!
And ak, we can tell you're from Bamalama.
My father taught me how to shoot. Been shooting since I was six. Rifles, shotguns, semiautomatics, 9mms. Dad kept a few around. One time, he and I got into an argument. I told him I hated him. He took me back into his bedroom and handed me on of his 9mms. Then he told me to shoot him if I hated him that much.
O_o
Obviously I didn't. Most times, I wish I had. I was twelve then. Instead, I stared at him, put the gun on the nightstand and ran from the room. I think I cried.
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
<laughs> I think we have a different idea about manners down here, mac. I think you're right. Ever wonder why southerners are so polite? Well, one thing is that everyone's related and you're liable to be talking to a cousin or at the very least your great grandmother's best friend's great grandson, and so you'd better be nice or else the tale will get back to your mama and grandmama and you'll catch it hot, but the second reason is that we are all armed and have strong ideas about property rights and other such things. Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
The weird thing is, if those guys had shot Xavier, would any of us have found out? Or would he have just disappeared from the forums? How do we know if something tragic happens to someone here? (Assuming you don't have a spouse that's registered.)
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Between CT and Kayla and Leto, I think Hatrack could hunt any one of us down. o_O
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
Mind you, a sword can be a pretty menacing deterrant to an intruder without a gun.
See, we don't get many gun-wielding intruders down here.
I've always had a few swords around for decorative purposes only, not for home-defense - since the concept of home defense is almost unknown and un-needed here. The collection of swords in my home has at times been outrageously large, as my best friend and flatmate of a decade is also a fight choreographer, and I'm a trained stage combatant. So we've got at least a dozen rapiers, short swords, bucklers, daggers, sheilds, a few double-handed broad-swords, katanas and some really really really big melee weapons.
A few years back I was finishing up a TV binge at 3am and walked bleary-eyed back to my room. There was something odd about it.
It took me a few seconds to figure out that it was the guy trying to get in the window who'd stopped dead as soon as I entered the room.
My brain locked up completely and I just stood there gaping at him.
Then something took over, I snatched this british army sword from the boer war off my wall and ROAAARRRRED at the top of my lungs and charged at the window.
You better believe he ran like the was after him! Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Ha, ha. That was a great story, Troubs.
Of course, you're lucky he didn't do an Indiana Jones on you. Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Glad you're OK.
If I'm home when someone breaks into my house, I'll just go after them with my lightsaber! Cool light, realistic sound, who wouldn't be scared?
Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
Glad you're okay, Xav! ((((Xav))))
~Jane~
Posted by Zotto! (Member # 4689) on :
(((Xav))) Holy crap man, I'm glad you're okay!
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Xavier, how scary!
*aghast
Thank goodness you are all right.
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
I just saw this!
Phillip - TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Now I'm extremely worried about you, especially after PSI's post, "The weird thing is, if those guys had shot Xavier, would any of us have found out? Or would he have just disappeared from the forums? How do we know if something tragic happens to someone here?"
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT disappear off the forums.
Kick your brother's ass for me.
Don't get dead.
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
I should have said earlier that I echo everyone else's sentiment that I'm very glad Xavier didn't get hurt or killed, and I also worry in general about how we would know if something bad happened to hatrackers who don't have close family posting online.
Lots of jatraqueros are the only ones among their family and close RL friends who post. For instance, when katharina was hit by a truck in Germany, I am not sure how Amka even found out to tell us. What can we do to keep up with and look after everyone better? Maybe we need to establish hatrack visit-teaching?
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
The pistol, at least, was not loaded. No word on the shot-gun. Maybe I would have had a fighting chance after all.
I'm thinking of getting a shotgun of my own now anyway. A nice 12 gauge pump. They have so many uses: home defense, urban combat, hunting. If the world ends tomorrow, I'm going to wish I had one. Plus I like the "point and kill" aspect. No aiming required.
My thoughts on the subject are pretty close to aka's. You've got to understand the violation involved with someone being in your house with deadly weapons with intent to take your property. This is my HOME.
[ August 19, 2003, 11:13 PM: Message edited by: Xavier ]
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
urban combat? You going with anne kate?
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
I was mostly joking about the urban combat thing .
That just comes with the sci-fi reader in me. So many stories take place after the world ends or goes into chaos, and being armed would be a huge plus at the start of any situation ivolving mass anarchy .
My feelings being close to aka's is in regard to shooting intruders. These five were kids, and I probably would regret it after the fact, but if I saw armed intruders in my house and I had a weapon it would be shoot first and ask questions later.
Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
I disagree, Sopwith. A shotgun should be your preferred method of personal defense in the situations described here. When you're startled out of bed by Bad Guys(tm), you don't want to worry about things like aiming.
For personal defense outside the home, of course, a pistol is the way to go. It takes a lot of training to handle one properly, which is exactly how it should be: carrying weapons into public incurs huge responsibility.
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
The pattern a shotgun makes at close range (<10-12 ft.) is actually pretty small, though. Like quarter sized. It's not like aiming up into the sky at a bunch of birds that are way up there. So do be careful to aim, anyway. Also it's a lot easier on your furniture if you at least try.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
Okay, this apparently isn't over.
Two of the kids' friends smashed out my brother's friend Jason's rear window of his car last night. The neighbors saw a large old style car pull in our driveway before the loud noises started. Jason and Zach know who owns a large rusted out cadillac and that person is friends with the 5 who got arrested for breaking into our house. This kid and another one actually told their friends that they would get revenge, though what we did except file charges is beyond me.
Now today while getting ready to drive to the office what do I see? A rusted out blue cadillac cruising by my house at 5 miles per hour. Both kids in the car looking right at me and the house. They kept going, so I followed them. I'm hoping I drove them far enough away that they won't come back while I'm here, since I was the only home. For all I know they could be in there right now though .
The cop who came out to do the report on the vandalism pretty much told us he wasn't going to do anything. Even though we know exactly who did it, since nobody saw him do it, he won't even go ask them about it.
I'm leaving for Cali soon, but what choice do my brother and his friend have but to take matters into their own hands? If it was my window that got busted, I know I would go kick the person who did its ass. I'm worried that this whole thing is going to escolate until someone is dead.
I really am considering buying a shotgun now. Maybe if I park my car somewhere else and have the lights off in my house, I can catch them in the act.
On an unrelated note, my wallet was stolen from my car last night too. I kept it in the divider between the two seats when I went in to the office yesterday, since the pocket in the swim shorts I was wearing could only fit my keys. I've had more experience with crime this summer than the whole rest of my life combined. It really pisses me off!
[ August 30, 2003, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: Xavier ]
Posted by ae (Member # 3291) on :
What you need is an automated sentry gun. Or a squad of guard-ninja.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
quote: The cop who came out to do the report on the vandalism pretty much told us he wasn't going to do anything. Even though we know exactly who did it, since nobody saw him do it, he won't even go ask them about it.
That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. I don't understand why the cop can't at least go talk to them and let them know that they had better not do anything. Stupid cops. Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
<--- agrees
Posted by slacker (Member # 2559) on :
Xavier, at least the cops came out for your car.
When my car was broken into in downtown Phx, I was told by the police that since there was nothing they could do (they didn't even want to see the screwdriver that i'd found in the car that wasn't mine), that they weren't going to come out.
They told me to go to a police station to file a report in the morning.
Nice to know that my taxes are going to such a fine police force..
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
I was talking about it last night with Dan and Slash and his wife, about what could be done about something like this.
You could start being a real nuisance - write to the chief of police, the mayor, and just keep pestering about your safety being compromised.
Or, you could get a mask, a baseball bat and some gloves, wait for the punks to show up again and beat the holy-living-hades out of them. If thugs get beaten up policeman spend all of two seconds on the investigation, generally feeling the little wannabe-gang-bangers had it coming to them.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
But what if the thugs get shot?
I generally think guns are for pussies, and would much rather settle things with bats or even fists. With this group though, I think maybe that would be like bringing a knife to a gun-fight.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
. A cop pulled in and saw one of them with his knife out. He arrested three on the spot, and they know who the other two are. They will tell us who did it when they catch them. I'm not sure why the sheriff waited till 4AM to come talk to us about it, but I was still up so I don't care.![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
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was after him! ![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)