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General gun discussions This is a place to lounge and discuss firearm related topics with other forum members. |
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#1
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Real Life Nightmare: House Burglarized, Guns Stolen
Hello all,
I'm a bit of a mess right now, so I apologize for any lack of cohesion. Came home to find that my house was burglarized while my wife and I were at work. My 2 firearms were stolen, but they didn't take any of my ammo. (I've been stockpiling). Already talked with the cops, gave them the serial numbers to both guns. One was an AR15 in a locked large Plano case. One was a MicroRoni kit with Vortex Sparc AR sights in an unlocked pistol case. The last was my Glock19 loaded, that was by my bedside drawer. They also took my wife's backpack with teaching materials and a credit card in it (it's been cancelled). Neighbor up the street has cameras facing down the block. From what he showed me, a white late-90s van (shaped like a Toyota Previa) came around the block around 9:38pm. Driver did not get out. Passenger went through side gate, had to fanagle a side gate latch that's opens only from the inside, so he had to have been tall. Proceeded through side yard, opened another side gate. This is where I'm kicking myself: we keep a spare key on the top awning of the back door entrance. They found this key, dropped it on the floor of the backyard (where I find it). Proceeded to the master bedroom and closet, where they took my guns. Neighbor's surveillance camera shows the van driving away at 9:45pm. I came home at approx. 10:15pm. I was in the process of ordering a proper gun safe, but obviously a day and dollar late. We don't have friends or family really come over, and we keep to ourselves. Any advice and suggestions would be most appreciated. I'm a mess. Last edited by Angry Earl; 07-17-2017 at 3:26 AM.. |
#2
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I'm sorry to hear that and it is the worst thing for anyone to have happen it feels different in your home knowing someone broke in I kinda uncomfortable and now you have no firearms for self defense in case it happens aging. The world is sad in this day and I hope they get the jurks that did this I had to reply to this when I seen it I'm a new gun owner and would hate to have it happen to me. So I understand and I hope you get justice!!
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#4
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Also, wanted to note:
- Wifi/internet to the house mysteriously not working. Is there a way to see the log of which devices has had access to our Wifi? - Should I be cautious of touching certain stuff they did? Is there a way to salvage their finger prints? I thought of this too late, when I picked up the key to the back house door. - My house did not have an active alarm or cameras. Those were on the to-do list after the safe. We moved in exactly a year ago. - Any advice on how to handle the home insurance? Thanks. Last edited by Angry Earl; 07-17-2017 at 12:45 AM.. |
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I was in a very similar situation to you about 4 years ago where I was shopping for safes but hadn't bought one yet. Luckily they only found two milsurp rifles and had no interest in them so they were still sitting there when we got home. After the break in we got an alarm and a safe. In my case, a package on my doorstep probably caused the break in (kicked in door). As to home insurance, once you have itemized your stolen property you will need to find photos, manuals, or boxes of the items taken to give to your insurance (more for higher value items really)
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For you to believe globalization can continue, you have to believe it doesn't require increased consumption and that the Americans will continue to bleed and die so that the Chinese can access energy. - Peter Zeihan |
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Sorry for your loss. Read your insurance policy for exclusions and deductibles. Talk to your agent, not directly to the insurance company. Guns may be an excluded item or your deductible too high to cover the loss. Unfortunately property crimes are very low on the list of many police department priorities. Stolen guns may move it up a notch. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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If you find yourself in a fair fight, you're doing it all wrong. |
#9
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Sorry to hear about your situation, but that area is iffy.
A home alarm (like Bay Alarm) usually helps because the bad guys will just go look for another house to rob instead of trying to break into a house with an alarm. If you do get an alarm make sure they install a bell on the outside too. They don't like to do that, but they will if you insist. An outside bell alerts the neighbors. Cameras are good, but really only helpful after the fact. The bad guys know they can hoodie up and keep their heads down to avoid recognition. Cameras should IMHO come after an alarm. Put in automatic outside lights too.
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C'mon man, shouldn't we ban Democracks from Cal-Guns? Or at least send them to re-education camps. |
#10
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could've just been random, shame they found that key but i get the impression that without it they'd probably just break your window and enter anyway
might want to keep an eye out for that white van, they might be bold enough to come back again about 5 years ago i walk out my door and notice 3 teenage kids across the street at my neighbors - one was standing by the curb, probably a lookout while the other two were on the side of the neighbors house by her windows she lives with just her young daughter and i knew they weren't home i asked the guy at the curb if he was looking for someone and he told me "ah, this is my cousins house and we're waiting" - i knew it was bullsh** but i just said ok and turned around to go back in my house, not being armed (thanks CA), i wasn't going to confront them too much my plan was to call 911 but i guess me going out there spooked them because they took off down the street, probably parked their car some distance away, so no chance of getting a plate when i told my neighbor about it she had no idea who they were, she got scared, can't say i blame her, happened in broad daylight too - police showed up about 25 minutes later, took their report and left
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#12
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Police report filed? Turby |
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Sorry for your losses, don't fret too much on them coming back...
They got what they wanted...there isn't anything to come back for...yet They know it'll take time to replace what they got...and... the target (your house) will be harder to hit the second time around
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ESCAPE IF YOU CAN A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. "The Second Amendment ex-tends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding." - The United States Supreme Court - |
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That's everyone's worst nightmare...I'm sorry to hear that happened. Was the key hidden well? Did you use that key often? If so someone ( Neighbors ) seeing you put it back after use could have had something to do with it. Lots of times it's someone you've seen before or know. That seriously sucks and I wish you the best of luck. Tough lesson to be learned that yes people suck and they will take your stuff....
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NRA ENDOWMENT LIFE MEMBER CRPA MEMBER FIREARMS POLICY COALITION MEMBER CGN CONTRIBUTOR |
#15
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Either your neighbor or your neighbors friends saw you use it and put it away. Or maybe someone that worked on your house saw it.
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"Show me a young conservative and I'll show you a man without a heart. Show me an old liberal and I'll show you a man without a brain." - Sir Winston Churchill "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!" - Senator Barry Goldwater |
#18
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The time of the incident is very unusual for home robberies. They must be aware that the occupants are usually gone until very late. I would think they would've had cased your home for sometime to notice that pattern. You said you recently moved into the house; did the previous owner leave that spare key there too? I would change all the locks and start locking your side gates.
When you reported it to the cops, did they not look for fingerprints, etc.? If they didn't, doubt you can make use of the fingerprints you find yourself.
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The wife will be pissed, but Jesus always forgives. |
#19
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#20
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Great minds think alike lol
OP, they dropped the spare key by the door hoping you'd keep the same locks so they can come back next year. Suggest you change your locks.
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The wife will be pissed, but Jesus always forgives. |
#21
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I even worry about people following me home from the range so I take the back roads. That's how paranoid I've become.
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C'mon man, shouldn't we ban Democracks from Cal-Guns? Or at least send them to re-education camps. |
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discussing firearms with casual acquaintances
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this is how the word gets out. Last edited by omega; 07-17-2017 at 8:12 AM.. |
#23
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You guys know how many keys from work, previous houses, padlocks you lost or no longer own, etc. accumulate in the junk drawer? I'm thinking of putting a bunch of those on a key ring and hide it by the back door just to frustrate a potential thief. Just imagine somebody having to go trying 40-50 keys just to see which one would fit. LOL
The real one would be with a trusted neighbor, of course.
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The wife will be pissed, but Jesus always forgives. |
#25
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This is terrible. Sorry for the tragedy. Reading the whole story, it sounds like it was done by someone you know. Most people burglarize in the daytime, during normal working hours, so the people who robbed you knew your evening work schedule.
On the bright side, it may have been a blessing that they found your key. It saved you from having a window broken or a door kicked in, so you won't have to get either of those fixed. And at least they left the key behind. You won't have to go through the inconvenience of rekeying your house. (I seriously doubt the made an impression of your key. They would have just taken it if they wanted it.) |
#27
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Reminder to all.... get a safe you morons.
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Beans and Bullets 2x SKS Trench Art $480 & $500 https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/...8#post28101198 |
#28
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Sorry to hear of your troubles OP.
Welcome to East County. Pittsburg/Bay Point, the bane of CoCoCo. Not just that but the following: 1) Secure gates and entry ways. A simple latch on the inside of your gate is not enough, lock it! 2) Don't leave spare keys around outside. If you need to, leave one with your neighbor. 3) Invest in an alarm system. They're quite reasonable these days. Get one that's connected to your cell and has a battery back up. We use Protection One. It's a self install system which keeps the price down. |
#29
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Sucks. Just having someone break into your house is a nightmare. Much less taking guns.
Not surprising they didn't take ammo. Too many people are worried about tweekers trying to run off with 300lbs of ammo. Once a collection gets nice/large enough, leave out "bait guns". Let them take the cheap 22s or junk shotgun. Having a dog may have helped. Mans best friend. |
#30
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That sucks OP
Was the key in an obvious hiding spot? That I'll never understand. Always hide a spare key well away from the door and hidden by something not obvious.
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^^^The above is just an opinion. NRA Patron Member CRPA 5 yr Member "...which from their verbosity, their endless tautologies, their involutions of case within case, and parenthesis within parenthesis, and their multiplied efforts at certainty by saids and aforesaids, by ors and by ands, to make them more plain, do really render them more perplexed and incomprehensible, not only to common readers, but to lawyers themselves. " - Thomas Jefferson |
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Sounds like they knew of the key and its location and exactly what they were after.
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NRA Life Member Mr. President, I can't take any more winning! Make it stop Mr. President. The winning is YUGGEEEE! "If you've got a problem with the US, you better make sure it's not a military problem." SSgt Leslie Edwards |
#32
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Sounds like that and I was thinking that maybe his neighbors aren't the good people he may think they are. Either saw or heard them put the key there and told their thieving friends where they can find it. Or it was completely obvious. "on the top awning of the back door entrance", might as well hang the key next to the lock with "spare key" written above it.
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^^^The above is just an opinion. NRA Patron Member CRPA 5 yr Member "...which from their verbosity, their endless tautologies, their involutions of case within case, and parenthesis within parenthesis, and their multiplied efforts at certainty by saids and aforesaids, by ors and by ands, to make them more plain, do really render them more perplexed and incomprehensible, not only to common readers, but to lawyers themselves. " - Thomas Jefferson |
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Yes. This was my thought as well. They knew where the key was, and were driving off with 2 guns in less than 7 minutes according to OP.
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#34
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The OP knows, or is acquainted with the perp(s). This is not random.
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_______________ "You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas" - Davy Crockett |
#35
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If your going to leave guns out make sure to hide them , never leave them out in plain view
a SAFE would have saved your guns, since it takes more time, and you were back soon after this happened, if you had a safe it wouldnt have gotten stolen so easily / quickly I lock up all firearms even if Im just going to the post office for 15 minutes |
#36
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You need to sit down with your wife and make a list of everyone who has been to your house in the last few months for ANY reason. Breakins usually are not random. Did the cops auctually show up? If so they should have checked for prints. Change the locks. That will buy you some instant security. Probably less than a hundred bucks to change every lock you have if you do it yourself. Also a good time to add deadbolts to front and back door. If it is not a solid door buy dead bolts that need a key on either side. Never leave a key where someone can find it. I don't know how handy you are but a simple camara system cost less than a safe although you should have both. Put a lock on every gate you have. Make them break things. Some cheap security window stickers ( e-bay $10.00) couldn't hurt either. Get the cops to look at the neighbors video. I know on my system you can zoom in and maybe get a license number or a face. It sucks when people violate your space. It is about priorities, you both work and you have been there for a year. In all that time you couldn't spend a few hundred dollars to protect you and your family. One other suggestion, if you had a large dog most people would not go in your back yard when your not there, especially at night. Security needs to move up the list. If they didn't toss the house or take the wifes jewelry they new the set up and you probably know them. Be suspicious of a friend who shows up asking a lot of questions about it and don't go looking for sympathy and talking about it to a lot of people. Keep quit and watch, you might see something that sets off an alarm in your head. Hope it Helps
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#38
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another tip, try to make your house look like somebody is home
automatic lights, tv , radio that turn on to make it look like somebody is home car parked in driveway, at random times to look like somebody just got home dogs, alarms. |
#39
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I'm not sure dogs are anything more than an alarm system anyway. And it doesn't work if nobody is home. If someone comes in my side gate unexpectedly my dogs will bark, but that's it. They won't bite or anything and after a few minutes they will stop barking. Neighbors usually ignore barking dogs unless it is late at night. I think alarms are a much better investment than a dog too. Yes, dogs can be picked up at the shelter, but the ongoing cost of food, veterinary, and your time is much larger than most people know. If you want a dog as a pet get one. If you think you are getting cheap security you are not. Unless the dog is well trained and you work with it a lot it isn't going to do much for security except let you know when someone is at the door.
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C'mon man, shouldn't we ban Democracks from Cal-Guns? Or at least send them to re-education camps. |
#40
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^^^The above is just an opinion. NRA Patron Member CRPA 5 yr Member "...which from their verbosity, their endless tautologies, their involutions of case within case, and parenthesis within parenthesis, and their multiplied efforts at certainty by saids and aforesaids, by ors and by ands, to make them more plain, do really render them more perplexed and incomprehensible, not only to common readers, but to lawyers themselves. " - Thomas Jefferson |
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