I got robbed

So, I was thinking I'd brew today. But, yesterday I drove over to my property and house we're working on fixing up (I currently rent a couple miles down the road). There I found that some piece of sheet, waste-of-space hoodlums had smashed down the door of my shed and my house. They walked off with a 6500 watt Honda generator and a bunch of power and hand tools. As I'm sure some of you unfortunately know, there's not much worse than that sinking, violated feeling when you realize you've been robbed.

It's bloody horrible. Even the stuff they didn't take had been all rifled through. You just wish you could have caught them...and had a baseball bat in hand.

So, instead of brewing, I've been running back and forth all day salvaging the stuff they didn't take. What a drag!

I really feel down about the whole thing. I feel suspicious of everyone I see, and I have lost a lot of faith in my neighbors and humanity in general.

In the end, it's just stuff, and it can be replaced or whatever. No one got hurt. But it sucks to realize firsthand how lousy some people can be.

Bummed...

Oh man, sorry to hear that.

It might be all for naught, but I'd file a police report (if you haven't already).

I'm sorry to hear that Janx. I hope they catch the idiots and throw the book at them!

Yeah thanks.

I'm sure it will be for naught, but I am going to go meet the deputy in an hour or so and file a report. I'm going to pursue this as far as I can. There's one particularly scummy family around these parts that is known for doing this sort of thing. And the thing is, they walked all this gear out...my two gates were still locked. So I bet they're nearby.

This one seedy family gets away with being ripoffs largely because almost everyone around here grows marijuana and so they don't call the cops when they get robbed. Since I have a regular, non-criminal job, there's nothing to stop me from pressing charges. It may be a new experience for these losers.

Here's hoping...time for a homebrew.

Janx said:

Yeah thanks.

I'm sure it will be for naught, but I am going to go meet the deputy in an hour or so and file a report. I'm going to pursue this as far as I can. There's one particularly scummy family around these parts that is known for doing this sort of thing. And the thing is, they walked all this gear out...my two gates were still locked. So I bet they're nearby.

This one seedy family gets away with being ripoffs largely because almost everyone around here grows marijuana and so they don't call the cops when they get robbed. Since I have a regular, non-criminal job, there's nothing to stop me from pressing charges. It may be a new experience for these losers.

Here's hoping...time for a homebrew.

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Hopefully you can get your stuff back, and the cretins get what's coming to them!

Ah i feel for ya man. I know that feeling all too well, unfortunatly. I hope you get some satisfaction from the police but I wouldnt hold my breath...

Damn...sorry to hear that.

Maybe I need to send you some beer. :rockin:

Janx, you were robbed. Someone broke into your home! Certainly you would file a police report. I am certain it will not "be for naught". Your insurance will require it and remember this is either the first time these people robbed and now they think they can do it again, or they have robbed before and have a past that the police might recognize. Either way it means that the police needs to know in order to get closer to getting these bastards.

When I was young we went camping a lot in the Summer. One particular Summer we were robbed. They took everything. It was not the expensive things that I was particularly fond of.... they got replaced with the insurance coverage, but I got a neclace when I was born and it was gone too. Probably did not even cost $15, but I still remember it. And like you, when we went away again we were very suspicious and worried. It takes a big toll on you emotionally. We and many neighbors always suspected one family's children as they were the bad bunch.

Well I am very glad that you were not around with the baseball bat. Like you said, it is just stuff that can be replaced. Had you had been there you might have done something that you would have later regretted. You could have pulled out the baseball bat and they could have pulled out a gun. Also remember that the laws of trespassing and the laws of excessive force are pretty complicated. Again I am glad you were not there to have to be put in that complexity of legal ramifications.

Well, I just got back from talking to the deputy. He was a real nice guy, very patient and understanding, and honest about what could realistically be done.

We had the serial number for the generator, but not the other stuff (Note, write down the serial number for your Sawzall, etc). So he said that was the most likely way to nab these guys. But that's pretty unlikely.

He agreed with me that it was most likely the scummy tweaker crowd down the road (tweaker = meth-amphetamine junky to those not familiar with the scourge of the rural West). But of course he can't just go kicking in doors to find my stuff. I'm glad he can't. This is America after all.

But he sad he could go ask some questions of the usual suspects and we'll see what happens. He grew up around here and knows who to go talk to anf where to poke around. Right now I just feel like I want to be a part of the solution. I know that it's a minority of the population that is a problem, and the majority are being silent victims and never reporting the crimes committed against them.

Example...today I talked to a neighbor whose parcel adjoins mine and his place was broken into recently too with the same MO. Did he report it? Nope.

Anyway...I'm just ranting. Thanks for listening. And, Michael, I agree. I'm glad I wasn't there to take action against them. That would be bigger trouble, and I'm not that guy in the end. As it is, it's just stuff that's gone.

Time for another homebrew...

Man Janx, thats sheety!!

Besides the police report, you could give a description of the stuff to any area pawn shops... a pretty longshot, but could have a nice return on investment.
I've had family do this to me (a coke head cousin), but fortunately discovered it by being at a friends house, commenting how much I loved his music & that I had the same CDs When he explained buying them from my cousin after taking him to a second hand place where he had sold some others... Thankfully I was able to recover everything.
Best of luck Bro, don't let the bastards get you down:fro:

Janx said:

almost everyone around here grows marijuana .

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In Humboldt County? You've got to be kidding!

Seriously, Janx that sucks. The way the legal system works is definitely frustrating. People who come into your house and take your stuff are scum of the earth!

I've had it happen and we knew exactly who did it, everyone did, but nothing happened to them. One of them ended up killing a guy for no good reason a couple of years later.

You never know what might happen. When I was a kid, our house got robbed, and the cops told my parents we'd probably never see our stuff again. A few weeks later, I was telling some kids in the neighborhood what happened, and it turned out one of the kids saw the scum taking our stuff out the front door! After a trip to the police station, the kid I.D'd the guys and they were arrested a short time after. Still never saw our stuff again, but at least they got punished for what they did!

Bummer. That's a bummer... Maybe I should have left that line for The Dude?

It is a freakin' bummer, though.

Sorry to hear what happened.

One word: Rottweiler!

sorry to here it Janx. maybe you'll catch a break and they'll snatch the scum that got your stuff. not a good feeling.

Janx, you have not mentioned yet so I'm guessing the answer is no. Do you have insurance on the place yet? My SWMBO would not leave a fork here without insurance first.

I have a sh*t load of brewing buckets I will sell ya cheap. If ya need them to get started again. Ya didnt lose any brewing stuff did ya? Time to think about booby traps. You know....fish hooks under window sills and door ways, nail boards below windows. Fishing line from the door to a noise maker of sorts. Low tech- high impact. Its hard to steal stuff when your fingers or feet are bleeding.

My house got robbed recently by what turned out to be a twelve year old kid. He robbed sixteen houses in my area, which is mostly grad students from Stevens College. I never saw my stuff, but it wasn't that satisfying to find out it was a twelve year old. Had it been an adult I'd want him to go to prison for a long time, but this kid probably needs some help so he won't end up there for some more horrible reason. He probably won't get that help, which is the sad part.

It seems like meth is destroying almost every part of the United Sates, and that's sad too.

I hate a-holes like that. Hope some measure of justice is served, but my experience is these things usually don't go very far.

Insurance - Most everything is supposedly covered under our renter's policy. So, I'm hoping that works out well, but in my experience, insurance companies like cashing checks more than writing them. So, we'll see.

Brew stuff - no brew stuff taken. Just most of the tools I needed to finish building my house. Stealing tools is damn low.

Meth - It's the worst thing in the world. The scourge of the rural world. I'm pretty much in favor of legalizing all drugs because I don't see this "War on Drugs" going anywhere positive. But meth...I'd almost make an exception...but then I realize that it's illegal now and look at all the good that does. It's just horrible stuff. It destroys people and it does it fast.

Justice - Yeah I'm not holding my breath that I'll get anything back or that they'll get busted, but I'm ready and willing to do whatever I can to make that happen.

Thanks for the kind words, all. Cheers

People can suck at times, but don't let the asses steal your outlook on life as well. My church has been getting hit. Stolen amps, guitars, sound board, key boards... People are really something sometimes!

Hang in there and know lots of people are thinking of you.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune Janx. Stealing from another really does suck, and it's amazing how many do it. Hopefully, somehow, you'll get your tools back.

Unfortunately, Missouri is the meth capitol of the world. And it's not only being made out in the hills...I constantly see local news stories about teenagers cooking meth in their parents house on the golf course in the burbs. Freakin' nuts I tell ya!

For those who are COMPLETELY ignorant on Meth. To which I am certainly including myself in, I found some information. Looks like nasty stuff.

http://www.freevibe.com/Drug_Facts/meth.asp