Posted: 2/6/2005 5:17:49 AM EDT
The wife and I were home watching tv about 7:45 last night,when the doorbell rang.Opened the door and there was a dude standing there holding out a roll of brawny paper towels telling me it was my free present If I would talk to him for a few minutes Tell him twice I wasnt interested in talking to him and close the door.My dogs are outside on the backside of the house going nuts.This guy gets into a dark SUV and drives over to my neighbors house and does the same thing.I shut off the lights in the living room so I can watch outside.After he leaves next door,gets into his truck,turns around and goes back out the road infront of my house about 100 feet and stops.I then notice someone in the woods across from our houses running through the woods along the road upto the truck,they open a back door on the passenger side jump in and the truck takes off.I know it wasnt the dude that came to the door,cause he was like 5'3" and had on a long trench coat.The guy in the woods was much taller,at least 6' and had no coat,just a light colored teeshirt.I called the nonemergency line for the sheriffs dept,the woman was like ok,what do you want us to do about it?WTF was this?Just seemed like we were being cased to see who was home.What do you think.
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Sounds to me like the guy in the truck was distracting home owners so that the guy in the woods could break into some sheds or garages or steal stuff from some back yards. Or the guy could be knocking on doors to see if anyone is home. If there is no answer, they may be breaking into the house. Just a guess of course |
My thoughts too. |
edit one city I lived in this was a common tactic. One thief would knock on the door while the other entered through the rear, they would not only hit houses that were empty during the day this way, they would also do it if an elderly person was home alone during the day, the knocker would keep her talking while his partner would try to get in the back of the house and rob theplace. |
In all fairness the lady did ask if I wanted a deputy to respond,I told her it wasnt needed cause they had moved on,but just wanted to let them know something weird was going on |
I think maybe he was looking to get around to the back of the house,but the back including the deck and the kichen door are fenced in,and I have a crazy chow chow and lab on patrol out there and they were going nuts.That was the first clue something was going on,the dogs were barking before the door rang,kept barking even after the truck pulled up the road and sat for like 30seconds while dude in the woods made his way over. |
Honestly, there is nothing that can be done based on what you have given. Even with an excellent description and the tag number, until a crime is actually discovered, the best that can be done is to harass them. Hell, I work for a dispatch center and in this case, given what you have said, I wouldn't even call. Sounds like something that needs to be watched and handled by homeowners, since the police can do literally nothing until a crime occurs. I would suggest you have them set up an extra patrol in your neighborhood, and give them what you have of the vehicle description. The extra presence may help a little. |
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Dogs. More than man's best friend. I have friends in the country who don't have dogs, still amazes me. We live in the city, and have two hounds. He barks if a frog farts in the back yard. +1 on casing the place. How old was this guy? Clean cut or scraggly. ie, did he look like he belonged out there or out of place? |
guy at the door was white,like I said real short,thin build maybe 100lbs,age probably mid thirtees,black slicked back hair real thin little mustache.SUV was black,taillights looked like a chevy or GMC make.As for being armed,didnt have a pistol handy but did have my ak behind the door with a twenty rnd mag
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yep,Martinsburg.Saw in the Journal yesterday were they arrested some fucktard for armed robbery while wearing a scream mask,like in the movie.Lots O' genuis badguys in this area 
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| Colk..I live in one of the many subdivisions in the Falling Waters area..Last fall we had a white van going around targeting ATV's...Just keep a sharp eye out..Seems like you cant have anything these days...Ridersville Cycle in Berkeley Springs has been hit four times...Regards |
I was thinking more of flipflops,nothing but a loincloth with a smily face painted on my gut and a machette 
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Fine idea - I'll incorporate it into my potential responses to threats. |
Maybe so and the guy in the woods was coming from the next street over after having walked the neighborhood. I've seen some cleaning product salesmen who operate that way. They come in groups and meet back up with their ride when they are done walking a neighborhood. |
Have to go shooting sometime.Ever been to Sheps Sporting Goods in Martinsburg?I work there.Most gun people in this area have been in at one time or another. |
True! My father-in-law taught juvenile felons and they #1 deterrent was a dog in the house. |
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+1 They tried to give a roll to a friend of mine. She told him she sells electrolux vacuums, he was like a robot, just kept going with the sales pitch. |
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THIS IS A SCAM/THEFT TECHNIQUE People wre doing it a few years back in NJ. Mostly targeted older folks....person at the front door occupies you for a few minutes...parter goes in teh back door and starts carrying stuff out. They only need a few minutes...just grab a purse, or any other easy to carry thing they can score a quick few bucks on. Answer the door with a rifle next time. I doubt they will be interested in talking. |
Sherrif dept doesnt like to be bothered until AFTER the you get robbed or killed obviously. In my town they would have pulled over every vehicle that fit that descrition. |
Perhaps,but have never had a door to door salesmen at almost 8 at night.Also the dude in the woods,I only saw him just before they left for like 30 seconds.No way he would have came down through those woods from another house,that shit is thick with sticker bushes,we have to trim that shit back along the woods were he ran through early in spring and spray the crap out of it with weed killer all summer to keep it from growing out into the road.Almost like walking through natuaral concetena wire in some places.Besides,the familly in the house on the other side of that wooded lot is like right out of deliverance,make me look almost normal edit to say if he had bothered them,dude would have found the quickest route of egress,ie the road,not through the woods.I shit you not |
Nope. I always have a pistol or short pistol grip shotgun in my hand when answering the door to stangers. I recently had a nervous acting, scruffy looking guy knocking at my door about 9:00 at night. He said he wanted to use my phone to call his girlfriend, and he looked like a tweaker. I unlocked the door but left the steel latch locked so the door was only open about 2 inches. He stepped right into the door with his face pressed into the open crack. I kept the door between him and myself and had my GLOCK pointed at his head through the door. Finger off the trigger, of course. |
It boggles my mind that thieves are willing to risk getting shot by a homeowner. Yes, the person at the door may distract them, but what if they hear someone coming in the back? Many/?Most states allow a lot of legal lee-way for the homeowner to use deadly force if someone invades their home. And in West Virginia of all places! The same can be said for any gun-friendly state. Canada and U.K. I can understand. Unless it is a known friend, mailman or UPS/FedEx, most people in NH loathe having someone come to their door. +1 on gun in hand. |
If #1 is a dog in the house, what number is two 90 pound dobermans in the house? 
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| Plus one on this being dumb shit to pull in West Virginia.A few years back they were trying to change the use of deadly force laws to allow you to protect property.The coal miners put the kibosh on that though,seems when they go on strike they like to destroy mine property and thought it would be used against them. |
It was about 7:30 pm when they came by her place, one was a trainee. I quess normally the work alone. The dude in the wood is weird though. No chance he was in there to take a piss? It could have been a setup, or it could have been legit. Bad thing is you never know. |
Yea,was watching a Hogans Heroes marathon on TV land years ago when I registered here.Didnt know at the time there was already a member going by Colonel Kink,must have been why I couldnt register under that name.Go by Godsmack on every other board I am a member of. |