Some weirdo tried a break in on my Mom's...or maybe he was lost

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Impureclient

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The recent key fob strategy thread in here reminded me to post this but I figured it was on topic in there but also needed it's own thread as the whole thing was so weird.

My parents just a couple nights ago had somebody pull up in front of their house, get out and walk away. The passenger then walked up their driveway 20 feet up to their new truck leaned on it and was talking on the phone.
My Mom was watching him inside on the camera, eight altogether, and beeped the truck. It did nothing. She then made the alarm go off and he still didn't seem impressed and then looked like he was trying to get inside it.
He even went to the hood to open it. I assume to get at the battery to turn the alarm off. He then jumped the fence into their back yard and possibly tried a window. He jumped back into the front and went over to the truck again.
He kept going back and forth to each side of the house. The police finally came and tackled him when he apparently was stuffing something into his mouth. Another passenger was also in the parked car but was passed out.
My Mom and stepfather stayed inside hoping he wasn't trying to get inside. The have no firearms and instead, my stepfather was right behind the door with a prybar. This all went down for about 13 minutes until the police finally arrived.
She called them as soon as he wasn't budging after she set the truck alarm off.
A couple days later the Sheriff wanted them down to the station and give statements and see what they wanted to do. They thought it would be better not to make an enemy as maybe when he is out he'll come back for revenge.
They opted to not press charges as the guy was probably was just doped out of his head although from the video he seemed very coherent and no wobbling as he moved around the yard. The police did say he was on something
but I can't remember if they told my parents what it was.

After all that, they didn't buy a gun. She said she is afraid of them but my stepfather seems like he wants to get one. I just hope the next time this happens and some guy/guys decides to bust in and is armed they have something
better than a prybar to protect themselves. They did the right thing staying inside and immediately calling the police but 13 minutes is a long time for something bad to happen.

Is there anything to sway somebody they need better protection after something like this happens and they don't seem too convinced to get armed?
 
Wow, that's a scary one! If that didn't convince them I don't know what would. Might offer to take them shooting, maybe you have something they'd feel comfortable with.
 
If they wouldn't even press charges, I doubt they would be willing to fire a gun in self defense. They understand that they are potentially at risk again but still won't do anything? Well, that just screams submissive to me.

Maybe take baby steps and start with pepper spray...
 
Perhaps helping them do some research into hardening their home is in order? Security door jamb, securing windows and sliding doors, better, outside lighting if they don't already have it, alarm system (or just signs for an alarm company), etc. Make it harder for the crazies/criminals to get in in the first place, if they're going to rely on 911.

Also, educate them on awareness and avoidance. Make sure they don't answer the door for anybody they don't know, regardless of sob story. Make sure they know that they're most vulnerable when distracted by entering or exiting their vehicle of their home. Make sure they do things like keep a cell phone with a signal charged at all times. Dig around and do some research on both the hardware and software to help them be more secure.

It'll be more productive to work with them within their comfort zone. Firearms are the last line of defense anyway. Get those earlier lines drawn first.
 
Is there anything to sway somebody they need better protection after something like this happens and they don't seem too convinced to get armed?

In a word - no.

Pressing charges might have caused problems later, sure. But NOT pressing charges sent another message they apparently didn't think about ...
 
Sounds to me the hardening of their home with cameras did the job perfectly, and a gun would not have improved a thing. The only thing I would suggest if they were my elderly folks would be to call the cops sooner, like when the dude first walks up the drive and does not knock on the door.

Did the police provide them with any info about the guy and his reason for doing this stuff ? Pressing charges might have saved somebody less prepared from a problem down the road if the dude has a habit of things like this.
 
If the 13 minutes it took for the police to arrive didn't hit home, I am not sure what will. A lot of very bad things can happen in 13 minutes.

I am not trashing police. I actually work in a non-police function for a PD. What people can't seem to understand is that police are reactive. They can't be there until they know there is a problem. It takes 1-2 minutes to place the 911 call. Then 1-2 minutes to dispatch an officer. Then you are waiting for the officer to drive to the scene which is usually 5 minutes plus.

I recently talked my brother into carrying while he is camping. On his first trip with his gun, he had an intruder rifling through his stuff and trying to get into his trailer. He was able to successfully chase the guy off without any injuries to anyone. He was about 45 minutes away from civilization and was incredibly grateful that he had it with him.
 
They were lucky and they need need to call the Police and get a home security inspection. Harding the home more and they need to wake up and get a gun. TAKE your step father and mom shooting.
 
If something like that doesn't wake them up to the reality of what can happen then nothing will IMO. Sounds like they already have some security measures like cameras but such things only go so far. Once a BG gets past those there's no real defense. What's a crowbar really going to do to a crackhead or someone already bent on doing physical harm? Are your parents trained and strong enough for physical combat against an assailant since that's what they would need to rely on with no firearm? By this guy's actions it seems if he really wanted inside nothing would have stopped him since the car alarm had no effect on him. 13 minutes is an eternity in a situation like that. Sounds like your dad may have had his eyes opened, keep working on him and maybe take your mom shooting so she can see that a gun is a tool, not to be feared. What is scary would be 13 minutes of a BG free to do whatever he wants to you until the police arrive.
 
If this doesn't convince them to own a firearm, nothing will. Hardening the home and getting a breed of dogs known to be protective to the owners are your likely bets.
 
Everyone has their very own strategy for these kinds of happenings. To some it involves being sure it will never happen to them and afterward it wouldn't happen again in a million years. A species adapts to the dangers in it's environment or it goes extinct. Perhaps the same can be said for societies.
 
Get them a shotgun, hopefully they will never need it...but if they do it would be there if it were ever needed. Bring it over (if you live in the same state) and explain you are doing it because you are concerned for their safety. Take them out to the range for skeet shooting, clay pigeons and target practice.
 
Hanzo581 said:
Press charges? Besides trespassing what else was he going to be charged with?
Click to expand...
Depending on the state, jumping the fence to the back yard and attempting to gain entry to the home could be construed as burglary rather than just trespassing.
 
Get them a shotgun.
Click to expand...

I understand, but disagree. If they don't have the mindset down, they won't get training or won't take the training seriously. Seen in my own family that when a weapon is introduced, the un-trained can make disastrous decisions as to use of force issues when panicked.

Pepper spray (small fire extinguisher size) is about as far as I'd go. :scrutiny:
 
My father didn't want a firearm, inspite of similar events. I bought him a couple of large cans of peppers spray. Then, about a year ago, he wanted to borrow one of my firearms, but leave it locked in his tool shed. I bought him a couple of cans of pepper spray.

He's a big boy. If he wants a gun, he'll buy it. I would hope he would lock it up inside of the house.

Geno
 
Never bring a prybar to a gunfight.

If the stepfather was willing to bean them in the head with that prybar then maybe they are amendable to a gun, and some bear spray if they want a non-lethal option.

But I'd hate to be reduced to using a prybar when the bad guys come with guns.

Deaf
 
They'll come to you for advice on a gun eventually if you don't beat them over the head.

Instead you need to help them make their home harder to get into AND they need to park the vehicle in the garage so wouldbe thieves aren't seeing an easy target. After they redo the doors and windows and clean out the garage so they can secure their vehicle they might decide that's enough or they may be ready to add a firearm to the plan.

BUT the first thing they need to do is make it as close to impossible for someone to break into their home instead of waiting in fear for some crook to break in.
 
I invited them over several times to shoot a suppressed .22. to ease them into something bigger like a shotgun but no good so far. Then without the can, then with a handgun, etc.
HSO mentioned the garage. It is full of his equipment for building carpet cleaning machines. He is building a workshop in the back but still wants to use the garage for welding. I just hope next
I tried talking him into making the workshop bigger but for some reason he won't budge in cleaning out the garage to put the truck inside. That is really on a piece of the puzzle though.
I don't think this guy in particular was a threat of physical harm. He was probably 50 lbs less than my stepdad and none of the people in the car that stopped were had any weapons.
Had he got in, he probably would have been manhandled into submission even without the prybar being used on him. That doesn't help my Mom though if she was alone.


The guy really was no threat but more of a scare. That's why they only recommended to the police that he be put in some drug rehab thing, which obviously won't do anything.
Had he used force to get in like breaking a window or using his body to force a door open, I think they would have asked for more of a tougher punishment. Even though he jumped
into the yard and was trying windows he just walked around almost like it was his house he was getting into. It is really weird to watch. I will try to get it on a memory stick, bring it to my house
and upload it here. Even though I'm sure it wasn't fun while it happened, it really is amusing to watch him do whatever he thought he was doing.

I did offer to let them use one of my guns until they get one of their own. I offered to even buy one. It's not like they can't afford it, they just are very reluctant to have a firearm in the house.
 
Sounds like a household that should have a couple cans of UDAP bear spray. Being blind, burned and unable to breath is a strong deterrent. Its also easier to aim than most guns for the untrained.
 
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