CRIME Neighbor robbed in BROAD DAYLIGHT in her home/Update: 4 More "Casings"

An elderly neighbor was robbed today. She lives in a trailer on an adjoining property to her daughter. Daughter has told her to NEVER let anyone into her house.

Today, a nicely dressed 50-something woman knocked on her door, saying her car was overheating and that she needed to call for help. Neighbor, who thought the woman looked okay, let her in to use the phone. While the woman was on the phone, she asked for a glass of ice water. Neighbor gets her one. Woman hangs up the phone, drinks the water, says "Thank you" and abruptly leaves. Neighbor then realizes her wallet is missing, with all her money for the month. She calls the sheriff, who basically says, "Don't count on getting your money back."


Don't be deceived by con artists, folks. If they're here, in middle-of-nowhere, then it really is getting bad out there!

This is not a robbery, just a theft by deception/scam. Sounds like gypsies to me.

There were also 4 separate "casings" today...4 different people, 4 different vehicles all on my dead end dirt road. Various stories, such as need money for gas, out of gas, can't get cell phone signal to call for help.

We think it may be the hired workers cleaning up trees on the main highway.

Mind you, I live in a neighborhood full of ex-military/hunters/EMS folks. They've definitely picked the WRONG neighborhood to mess with!!!!

lafrteacher said:

There were also 4 separate "casings" today...4 different people, 4 different vehicles all on my dead end dirt road. Various stories, such as need money for gas, out of gas, can't get cell phone signal to call for help.

We think it may be the hired workers cleaning up trees on the main highway.

Mind you, I live in a neighborhood full of ex-military/hunters/EMS folks. They've definitely picked the WRONG neighborhood to mess with!!!!

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I have recently check my front door camera and the intercom system. There will be no more opening the door to strangers. I actually can open my main front door and I still have a dead bolted wrought iron security doors. That being said, I figure if I start talking to people via intercoms, it might be to tell them to "go away." I really need to do something about my blinds in the front room. I have a very long window but only three sets of blinds and you can see inside from the gaps between the sets. I think I am going to look at one of those roll blind things if I can find some long enough.

Hone depot cuts blinds to size.
There are also online discount places that do that too www.americanblinds.com ?

www.discountblindsandwallpaper.com also

A couple of Filas, an electric fence and a locked gate help make sure strangers don't come calling here. And they are all backed up by an irascible old man with a 12 gauge handy.

dd (Want water? I'll stick the hose through the fence.)

Now is the time for extra and extreme caution, folks, and it will only get worse. NEVER let anyone into your home that you do not know. Don't go to the door. It's hard, because good people like ourselves want to help someone in trouble. But sadly, it is just too much of a risk anymore.

Weimaraner guard dogs here, driveway alarm, and motion lights. Sometimes I do go to the door, but the sight of a weapon and the barking of the dogs makes the person apologize and go away. Especially if they are selling a home security system.

The other night we were BBQ-ing enjoying the end of summer yet still warm weather here in Vegas. We happened to walk in the house to set the table and DD comes running out of her room and says, "Daddy someone is trying to get in the gate!" He ran out but no one was there.

He walked back in and said it's only going to get worse as people become more desperate. Now I would not exactly call Mike a DGI- but sometimes he prefers not to -as he calls it -dwell on the negative. That was the most "get it" thing I have heard him say in a while.

Now I would not exactly call Mike a DGI- but sometimes he prefers not to -as he calls it -dwell on the negative. That was the most "get it" thing I have heard him say in a while.
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I know this song...

Oh boy lafrteacher, this does not sound good. On a positive note, it seems to me like these type of problems come and go quickly. I'm sure they'll quickly move on to find fresh meat and reduce their chances of getting caught. Still though, please be careful and keep us posted.

Jean B said:

I know this song...

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I know the words to it too via my dh. He gets it, just doesn't want to talk about it. This has been revealed to me just recently as I watch him and really listen.....18 yrs and I learn something new about the man...go figure.

About 25 years ago my elderly aunt was robbed in a similar way. A very well dressed, nice looking couple was walkng thru the neighborhood calling a dog. They saw my aunt in the front yard & stopped to ask her if she had seen a dog, etc. They kept her talking for several minutes while a tird person snuck in the back door & robbed the place.

PLEASE READ THIS PART : These people know EVERY place that you can think of to hide money. Yeah yeah, you all think you know a place where no one will find the loot. Wrong! These folks are pros. In a matter of about 3 minutes they will ferret it out.

In 2003 my parents were victims of a home invasion also. Some of you might remember my post about it. It was very traumatic for my folks, and me, but no one was hurt. Yes, it was a gypsy ring and yes, my mother was a gypsy. Bad juju to rob one of your own, let me tell you! My mom tricked one of the guys into touching something she handed him & got a fingerprint. He also told her to not look out the window shen he left but she did & got the description & plate # of his car. He & his group are now in jail. Mom passed away but I had the pleasure of writing the victim impact letter that was read to the purps. I wish I could have been there when he found out mom was gypsy!!!!

One more bit of info that I learned from the investigators during the investigation & trial. The gypsy groups NEVER physically harm anyone. They also never take personal info like SS #s & bank info - just cash & good jewelry. They didn't even touch the guns that were in plain sight. However, the hispanic & asian gangs that do home invasions almost always harm or kill during a robbery. They are the one you really want to be afraid of..........

Another ploy is an attractive couple will show up at an elderly person's door with some story or some sales pitch. When they get inside, one asks if they can use the bathroom. While in the bathroom they clean out all the loratabs or other prescription drugs that have street value.

We live in a relativly safe neigjhborhood with little outside traffic. the majority of the residents are retired or almost there. In the 5 years we have lived here we have had only a few door-to-door sales calls and a few more people with door hanger ads for various home repairs.

There was one incident last year where three Mexican youth in a tricked-out Chevy truck drove down our street looking at the scenery. I was sitting on a small stool weeding an area. I was concealed by our van in the driveway. As the pickup passed thepassenger on the right happened to see me and he gave a lame smile and pointed two fingers at me as they sped off. I pointed two fingers at the truck and smiled back broadly.

I keep a few impact weapons about the house and have a couple of firearms that I am well trained with ready as well. I have no problem answering the door with a handgun in a pocket or behind my back.

If someone comes to the door and asks for water, a person could be given a bottle of water. If you have a locked security screen door, bring the bottle of water to the door, instruct the person outside to move back about 20 feet while you place the bottle outside the screen, then relock the house. if the person acuses you of being unkind, don't give them the water. Your home is your sanctuary and the person on the porch is a stranger, maybe even a good person, but they are on your turf.

The telephone ploy is a sticky one. You could make the call or place a portable phone on the entry area using the same method as for the water. In any case your safety is paramount. Don't compromise your safety!

When I was 14 y/o, home alone one night, a couple came to the door needing to use the phone. This was over 20 years ago, no one had cells, so this wasn't too unusual. They looked like nice people, but I was alone so I didn't want to take any chances. Lucky for me the phone line was several feet long so I able to do what Phil Ca suggested. I asked them to step back, placed the phone just outside the door, and relocked the door. They weren't offended, they said they understood. Of course any normal adult would undertand a teenager being paranoid, but my point is if they are nice, they'll understand.

We live in a relatively small town, haven't had alot of crime, burglary, etc up till now but the local, once a week paper, had headlines this week "Rash of home burglarles this Week" - fortunately it wasn't close to our neighborhood but we are being extra careful. We have a security door on front and back and just speak thru it most of the time, and have neighbors that keep a look out. Have been pressuring DH to get a smaller weapon just in case - he says he is looking but hasn't got anything yet!!! Also heard we have had two mexican gangs move in lately - so am being more vigilant than ever. Think with the economy the way it am afraid we are going to see alot more of this.

So far, everything is quiet today. The whole neighborhood is on alert now.

We are small town(3,000 people) we live outside the town in a rural area about 50 homes in the area surrounded by the mountains and woods. Burgleries have been non exsistent here until now! 4 homes in just 2 miles from us have been robbed! 1 had an alarm so they were lucky the other 3 did not and lost thousands of dollars worth of items!

2 towns near us has had a guy targeting women who live alone and robbing them.

Another rural area has had 3 burgleries.
This is small ,small towns Aand we have never seen anything like this before.