(no subject)

[rivka]

We got robbed.

Michael was home alone this morning when, in broad daylight, someone came in through an unlocked, high-up, hard-to-access window in our kitchen. Michael interrupted him, but not before he'd stolen my laptop from work, which he then proceeded to bounce off the pavement trying to get over the alley gate in a hurry. (So the bastard isn't even going to profit by this - he destroyed our sense of safety at home for nothing.)

Here's Michael's full story.

I never imagined... okay, I knew that security between the yard and the house was weak. (The back door doesn't even have a real lock - just a chain.) But our yard is fenced, and bounded on two sides by other yards, and all access through those yards to the street is through locked gates. I didn't think that anyone would ever come in that way.

I can't believe it. He could have killed Michael. He could have killed him.

In a massively high-crime city like Baltimore, I wasn't sure what the police would even do, beyond filing a report so we'd have a case number to give our insurance. But they sent an officer out, and he talked to Michael and walked through the yard and talked to some workmen who'd been out on the street behind the house and had seen the guy scale the gate. And then, a few hours later, a crime scene investigator came out and dusted the window for prints. She told us that if there's a match in the system when the prints come back - and I'm sure that this was some local dope fiend or crackhead, so I can't imagine that he doesn't have a record - they'll follow up on it. So maybe they'll make an arrest, and we can think in some abstract way that justice has been served. I guess.

For a while, I had hopes that the computer might be recovered - it's got those metal security stickers all over the bottom, saying that it's owned by the University of Maryland. That was before Michael found the doors to the CD drive lying on the sidewalk outside the gate, and talked to the guys who saw the computer get tossed through the bars. There wasn't any unduplicated data on it, or confidential patient information, or anything. Fortunately.

What an ugly, creepy thing to have happen. I'm so glad that Michael is safe. I'm so glad that the guy didn't make it any further into our house - I can just imagine how much stronger the sense of violation would be, if we came home to find that he had been all over, upstairs, in our bedroom...

And I am so, so, so glad that Alex wasn't home when it happened. I keep thinking, sometimes she's downstairs by herself for a minute or two, when whichever one of us is home with her runs upstairs to get something. What if she had been downstairs alone, and a guy had come through the kitchen window? It's awful enough thinking about this happening to my husband.

We are okay. Just shaken up (me) and furious (Michael). It could have been so very much worse. But oh my God...

Comments

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

That's just *awful*. I'm so sorry. What a scary thing to have happen!

-J

[juthwara.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, how scary. I'm glad there was no real physical damage. I've been through a couple grab-and-run burglaries and it always took a while to get over the feeling of violation. I hope you all regain your peace of mind soon.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

That's freakin' scary and creepy. I'm glad everyone is alright. I'm so sorry!

N.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Oh, YUCK. I'm so sorry. I remember when this happened to us -- the idea that somebody had been rummaging through my stuff was the worst part.

I'm glad you weren't hurt except psychically.

[lerryn.livejournal.com]

That's really scary. I'm glad all of you are OK.

[baldanders.livejournal.com]

Gahhh.

[aloha-moira.livejournal.com]

Eek. I'm glad you're all okay... and that your computer stuff was properly backed up!

[llnaughty.livejournal.com]

omg! i'm so sorry that happened to you! :(

i'd have the same reaction, what if the kids were at home!

[submarine-bells.livejournal.com]

Good grief. What an awful thing to have to deal with. I'm glad nothing worse happened, but still. *shudder*

I hope you recover your sense of comfort and security soon.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Gads... I've been through similar situations, though it's only been me (i.e., no children to worry about).

I got into a habit of checking the entrances in a pattern, so I could be sure I checked everything... it helped with the "OMG is the door unlocked? Did I forget to check it?"

You have my sympathies, though... it's an ugly thing to have happen, even if the property can be replaced. It could just as easily have been something that couldn't be.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Yow, scary! With everyone else in being glad that everyone's OK.

Hugs and tea offered.

[saoba.livejournal.com]

Aieee.

SO glad you are all unharmed. What a scary thing to have happen to you.

Holding you guys in the light, and hoping the police can come up with the goods to get this guy off the streets.

[elusis.livejournal.com]

Good lord.

I get that feeling of safety violation - I had the same for a long time after someone walked in our back door and tossed my whole bedroom, when I'd just been down in the basement alone minutes before.

[shadopanther.livejournal.com]

2nd what micheinnz said!

I hope the catch the guy!

*hugs*

[witling.livejournal.com]

I'm so, so sorry. Being robbed is terrible. I'm very glad your sweetie is safe.

[ex-serenejo.livejournal.com]

I'll tell you what I told Michael: I'm so glad you're all safe. I was the victim of a violent crime, and my mother never got over the fact that she wasn't there to keep me safe. I am so glad your family (and you, of course) are safe.

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

What a frightening thing to happen! So glad everyone is safe.

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're all ok, and ever so grateful that Alex wasn't around for it.

<HUGS>

[faxpaladin.livejournal.com]

GoodThoughts away...

[roga.livejournal.com]

Oh, god, that's awful. I'm so glad you're all okay and nothing irretrievable was taken.

When I was thirteen my house was broken into while I was home alone - I'd thought they were a crew of workmen who were supposed to work in the yard that day and didn't pay too much attention to what they were doing, from my room. Later it turned out that they went right past my room and up to my parents' bedroom, and stole a stereo and some jewelry.

I tell myself that statistically, this happens to everyone once or twice in their lifetime. So at least I got once out of the way.

[windypoint.livejournal.com]

When something very similar happened to us (it was my youngest daughter and my partner's elderly mother home at the time, even thinking about it terrifies me still) I went round to all the other houses that back onto our alley and door knocked them to give them the warning about what had happened and to be extra careful with security. I sort of figured I must have door knocked the culprit's house as well. At least I had the satisfaction of knowing that he knew everyone had now been warned.

[droewyn.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that you guys are safe, and that he didn't get anything irreplaceable!

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you are all safe.

[iamjw.livejournal.com]

Jesus. I'm very glad you're all okay, at least physically. This is seriously scary stuff. Will you look into alarm systems? I have no idea if they work but one might be a deterrent.

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

That sense of violation is awful. I've had someone in my apartment stealing something three times (only one time was I home) and I spent a while afterwards being creeped out by just knowing that they were in my house, touching my stuff.

I am so glad your incident wasn't worse.