My Car Was Burglarized ... But There Is A Bright Side

[Kenngo1969]

My car was one of several (along with my parents' and those of several neighbors) which was burglarized overnight in my neighborhood. Like an idiot, I locked my door ... so they had to bust my window out to get in. This is the second time my car has been burglarized. (I believe I obligingly [if inadvertently] left it unlocked the first time). Now, for the bright side ...

The first time my car was burglarized, the "person(s) unknown" (had to throw in a little police report parlance there, as the son of a retired career law enforcement officer and a former police Explorer ) was/were so frustrated at my failing to oblige them by leaving anything in my car that they felt was valuable enough to steal that they left a 4"-6"-inch scratch on my driver's side window. Now that the second (set of) "person(s) unknown" has busted out that window entirely, I can finally get it replaced.

At the risk of demonstrating the sort of pride President Benson warned us against, t'was I who noticed, as the officer who took the report on the burglaries of my and my parents' vehicles was leaving, that we weren't the only victims. I looked at driver's side of the SUV parked in our neighbors' driveway and said to myself, "That window's either down or has been busted out." It's not warm enough this time of year for people to start leaving their car windows down hereabouts, so I looked more closely and noticed that there was glass on the driveway. So we called the officer back and kept him busy. (He later found at least one more vehicle on my street that had been burglarized.)

What's new in your world?

[Stargazer]

The only time a car of mine was ever stolen was one Sunday morning when the night before I received a strong impression that I needd to go to the car and retrieve a valuable item that I had left there under the seat. Since I had been in the habit of leaving that particular item under my seat, and because I was already dressed for bed (alright, undressed for bed) and was, in fact, already IN bed, I decided to disregard the impression.

In the morning I rose to go to a church meeting, and lo! and behold! my car was gone. Realizing what had happened, I got in my wife's car and drove around the neighborhood to see if perhaps the thief had merely taken it a short distance away. And this is indeed what had happened. I found it a few blocks away, none the worse for wear (apparently the thief had found the lock quite vulnerable). Except for the fact that the thief had found and taken the valuable item, nothing else was amiss. The thief had even obliged me by inadvertantly leaving his pager in the car, along with his do-rag (this was in the days before cellphones). I did turn the items in to the police, but even with that evidence they never found him, or the valuable item.

Just remember to follow strong impressions when they are given to you.

[BCSpace]

Get a camera on that car and the surroundings, put something in it that looks valuable, hide and wait. If you're lucky, you might even get to exercise your 2nd amendment rights (but I'd go for a tire or the legs first).

[Deborah]

I had a car broken into years ago, but they had something to get into my car without breaking a window and they stole my stereo. Another time I was parked at a restaurant at night and went to my care and someone had broken the window and pulled the starter out and tried to steal it but couldn't get it started. When I lived in Calif I was never able to keep hubcaps on my car and finally gave up.

[Kenngo1969]

Get a camera on that car and the surroundings, put something in it that looks valuable, hide and wait. If you're lucky, you might even get to exercise your 2nd amendment rights (but I'd go for a tire or the legs first).

As much as I hate the thought of anyone else going through what I've been through, while I suppose it's possible for our "person(s) unknown" to have gotten it all out of their system in one night, there's always the possibility that this is the start of a [hopefully-short] criminal career. If so, perhaps that increases the likelihood someone will see something and they'll be caught as a result. I doubt the likelihood of them hitting my car again is very high.

[Kenngo1969]

I had a car broken into years ago, but they had something to get into my car without breaking a window and they stole my stereo. Another time I was parked at a restaurant at night and went to my care and someone had broken the window and pulled the starter out and tried to steal it but couldn't get it started. When I lived in Calif I was never able to keep hubcaps on my car and finally gave up.

Huh. Sorry to hear that. I hope that these experiences weren't too traumatic. Kinda funny about the hubcaps. At least they just mess with our stuff rather than messin' with us! (Whereabouts in California did you live?)

[Deborah]

Chino, Ontario, Diamond Bar. All my car stuff happened in Calif and it wasn't even an expensive car!

[Kenngo1969]

Just remember to follow strong impressions when they are given to you.

Good advice. I'm still trying to remember/checking to see if I'm missing anything important. They got my parents' cell phone, but I try to keep mine with me most of the time.

[Kenngo1969]

Chino, Ontario, Diamond Bar. All my car stuff happened in Calif and it wasn't even an expensive car!

I believe L.A.'s like the car-theft capital of the world, or something. Can't say I've ever been to the parts you mention: Chula Vista, San Marcos, Oceanside (chased out of the area by some gangstas once), Mira Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, and Carlsbad were my areas in the then-California San Diego Mission (Carlsbad is its own mission now.)

Edited April 7, 2012 by Kenngo1969

[Kenngo1969]

[utah Code Annotated] 76-6-204. Burglary of a vehicle -- Charge of other offense.

(1) Any person who unlawfully enters any vehicle with intent to commit a felony or theft is guilty of a burglary of a vehicle.

(2) Burglary of a vehicle is a class A misdemeanor.

(3) A charge against any person for a violation of Subsection (1) shall not preclude a charge for a commission of any other offense.

76-6-202. Burglary.

(1) An actor is guilty of burglary who enters or remains unlawfully in a building or any portion of a building with intent to commit:

(a) a felony;

(b) theft;

© an assault on any person;

(d) lewdness, a violation of Subsection 76-9-702(1);

(e) sexual battery, a violation of Subsection 76-9-702(3);

(f) lewdness involving a child, in violation of Section 76-9-702.5; or

(g) voyeurism under Section 76-9-702.7.

(2) Burglary is a third degree felony unless it was committed in a dwelling, in which event it is a second degree felony.

(3) A violation of this section is a separate offense from any of the offenses listed in Subsections (1)(a) through (g), and which may be committed by the actor while in the building.

If s/he-they are adult(s) (big "if," but I wouldn't want to be in a secure juvenile facility until I was 21, either), in the case of what s/he-they did at our place since they entered the garage, they're guilty of a Class A misdemeanor (up to a year in jail) and a third-degree felony (0-5 years in prison). (Yeah, I know their likelihood of being caught is somewhere between slim and none, but ...)

Edited April 7, 2012 by Kenngo1969

[Buzzard]

Had a window broken out several years ago while is a Priesthood Leadership Meeting in CA. Several of us parked our cars on the street close to the Stake Center door. During the meeting, "persons unknown" went down the row, broke out the window in each of 18-20 vehicles, and helped themselves to tools, electronics, whatever was in said vehicles. The cost to replace my window? About $120, if memory serves. The thieves haul from my car? A tire pressure gauge, probably worth about two bucks.

After that incident, a brother or two was always posted outside the building during any night meeting held there.

[Kenngo1969]

Had a window broken out several years ago while is a Priesthood Leadership Meeting in CA. Several of us parked our cars on the street close to the Stake Center door. During the meeting, "persons unknown" went down the row, broke out the window in each of 18-20 vehicles, and helped themselves to tools, electronics, whatever was in said vehicles. The cost to replace my window? About $120, if memory serves. The thieves haul from my car? A tire pressure gauge, probably worth about two bucks.

After that incident, a brother or two was always posted outside the building during any night meeting held there.

'll tell the police to look into transplants to the area from California, then! Yeah, that's the frustrating thing about it: the window was worth more than anything they got out of my car. Speaking of which:

Utah Code Annotated, Section 76-6-106. Criminal Mischief . . .

(2) A person commits criminal mischief if the person: . . .

(c ) intentionally damages, defaces, or destroys the property of another . . .

So far, we've got: one count of 3d-degree felony burglary (up to 5 yrs. in prison possible) for unlawful entry into the garage; one count of class-A misdemeanor vehicle burglary (up to a year in jail possible); and one count of class-B misdemeanor criminal mischief (the statute grades the seriousness of offenses by the damage caused, and I'm estimating my damages at less than $250, which is the least serious offense).

And they say we prosecutor-types (remember, I said prosecutor-types; IANAL) don't overcharge!

Edited April 8, 2012 by Kenngo1969

[Duncan]

On my mission I had my bike bag stolen. Funnily enough I found everything but my Canadian wunderbar choc. bar. All my stuff was all found on people's lawns, it was as though they were in a car and sitting in the back seat and looking through everything and not wanting it so they chucked it out the window as they drove by so all along people's lawns was all my stuff and the bag was on the last lawn! minus the Choc. Bar-the audacity of it all I tell ya!

[wenglund]

I had a car (an old Volvo sedan with major blow-by) stolen after letting my brother take it to work at his law firm in SLC. The thief got as far as Provo, where I lived, before running out of gas. The thief was caught in the act of siphoning gas by a policeman on patrol.

While living in Sugarhouse a few years back, my bike was stolen presumably by some drug addicts (the DEA later busted a meth lab in the house across the way from where I lived). I reported the bike missing, and it was later found at a pawn shop (I guess pawn shops are required by law to provide lists of things that are pawned so that local law enforcement can check the lists against their reports of stolen property).

So, while I have been the victim of several crimes, I have been fortunate enough to get everything back.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[cinepro]

Get a camera on that car and the surroundings, put something in it that looks valuable, hide and wait. If you're lucky, you might even get to exercise your 2nd amendment rights (but I'd go for a tire or the legs first).

I think you might find some states have a different understanding of the 2nd amendment. Check your local laws regarding reasonable defense of property before you start shooting.

Edited April 9, 2012 by cinepro

[Kenngo1969]

I recently got a victim impact statement saying that the juvenile who broke into our garage (and broke into my car by completely smashing out the driver's side front window ;() has been caught. I don't want to gloat regarding my legal prowess or anything (especially since IANAL) but he was charged with everything I said he was going to be charged with. I don't think this kid is a hardened criminal or anything, but I would like to appear at sentencing or a plea hearing. Here's a thumbnail sketch of my statement:

I hope you take the right option at this early fork in the road. One side leads to long-term confinement in a secure juvenile facility, followed by long-term confinement in adult jail and/or prison. Some people think that four walls and a roof over one's head, rent-free, and three free square meals a day isn't a bad deal. The thing is that for many people who are incarcerated, their every waking breath is controlled by someone else.

While you're fortunate that the aim of the juvenile system is rehabilitation where possible rather than punishment, and while I'll be the first to admit that the acts you committed aren't the worst crimes on the books by far, you should know that if you were an adult and if you had a criminal history that warranted it, you could spend upwards of sixteen years behind bars for the acts you committed against me and my family. You may think life is hard and that it has given you a raw deal, and you might be right about that. If so, I can sympathize with you to a certain extent.

You might think that such a raw deal entitles you to do what you did without consequences. If so, I have bad news for you: your life is probably going to be hard no matter what. As those great philosophers, the Rolling Stones, like to sing, "You can't always get what you want." In fact, rarely can you get what you want. You can use that as an excuse to continue to victimize other people like you victimized me and my family, or you can tell yourself, "You know what? Life is hard enough; if I choose to continue to victimize others, that's just going to make it harder. I don't want to do that."

I don't know what your home life is like: I hope that one or more of your parents are saying to themselves, "This isn't the son we raised." And I hope you're saying to yourself, "This isn't the kind of guy I want to be." If so, as hard as your life might be, and as hard as it's likely to get, there's still hope for you. I strongly advise you to take it.

Thoughts?

Edited June 30, 2012 by Kenngo1969

[sweetpotatoh]

Can you make it shorter?

Teenagers attention spans are shrt. I think they will tune you out after the first paragraph.

[Calm]

Sad commentary, but wise, sp.

[DBMormon]

car broken into once... all they took? were my two sets of scriptures I had

[Kenngo1969]

car broken into once... all they took? were my two sets of scriptures I had

That doesn't get you off the hook for doing missionary work, DB!

[Kenngo1969]

Can you make it shorter?

Teenagers attention spans are shrt. I think they will tune you out after the first paragraph.

Sad commentary, but wise, sp.

OK. How's this?

Bad news, good news: Bad news, you're an idiot! Good news, you can grow out of it! Hope you're sorry you did it! Hope you don't do it again!

[Calm]

I am sure the teen would prefer that version....perhaps something in the middle, enough to make him squirm just a bit, but not so much as to cause him to blow the whole thing off..

[Kenngo1969]

I am sure the teen would prefer that version....perhaps something in the middle, enough to make him squirm just a bit, but not so much as to cause him to blow the whole thing off..

Whether I end up giving the short version, the long version, or something in between, I think delivery makes a difference: I can make myself a hard guy not to listen to (to the extent that someone, especially a young person, might actually prefer at least a short period of incarceration over having to listen to me) when I really want to.

[MorningStar]

The nice thing for me - one of my locks is broken and my car is so messy right now, I wouldn't know if someone broke in and there's nothing they would want to take unless they like candy wrappers. My husband's window was smashed years ago just for the heck of it. I feel your pain!

[Calm]

I left a purse a friend had given us in Russia for our daughter to play in the back seat of our car and went for a walk down by the river. Came back in and the window was smashed in, purse gone. Never could go on that particular walk again, sigh.

Good news is the only thing in the purse was left over from Russia as well, a can of bear/pepper spray. I am hoping it exploded in their faces when they opened the purse up (we were going to give it to our friend the geologist who was always tell us about the bears he ran into out in the back of beyond where he did his work).