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My attempted home invasion yesterday

9K views 51 replies 36 participants last post by  wolfshead 
#1 ·
Yesterday afternoon I descided that I was going to come home on my lunch break, my was gone to her place of work and it was just me and the dog home.
I had made what I thought to be a decent lunch and was sitting in the living room. After watching some tv I hear this WAM WAM coming from the kitchen door.

Im sitting there thinking "whats going on" and that is when I realize that someone is trying to rip the stormdoor of the hinges. My 10 pound dog goes nuts and runs to the door barking and yelping, but the person just continues to try to rip the door open.

I jump up and I dont think I have time to go get my gun so I pull out my knife and run into the kitchen yelling " What do you think you are doing"? At that moment I realize I need to go get my gun, when I finish yelling the door quits shaking, so I take that time to run into the bed room and grab my Rem 870.

I look out my bed room window and dont see anyone, but I clear my way back to the kitchen and see that the door is still locked and closed and he had given up when I started yelling.

I call the police and file a report and they are now watching the house and our neighborhood better for the next 3 weeks.

The weird thing is is that I was NOT suppose to come home for lunch yesterday and my wife was suppose to be home but had been called into work. I thank GOD for it being me here and not her.
 
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#2 ·
Glad you are OK,is there a reason you did not have a gun on you?You said you had to go get a gun.
 
#3 ·
I dont carry at work and leave the gun at the house, so I did not even think to go get it when I was home...its only an hour lunch break. NEVER AGIAN!

edit: anything I should have done diff? other then not having the gun on me.
 
#4 ·
I am glad the BG ran off when you yelled out. But it could have been a very different out come. We all need to keep our guns close enough to grab. If you don't carry around the house I would hide a gun in as many rooms as possible. That way one is not far out of reach in case something like this happens.
 
#5 ·
Glad that you thwarted a bad situation, but I have to agree with Pink Lady, never be too far away from a gun when you are at home... Grab Weapon = Y, Call Police = Y, File a Report = Y, Learned Something from the Experience = Y... I think you did everything right (any weapon is better than no weapon)...
 
#11 ·
Thank you, Guantes.

I don't know when all home burglaries began being referred to as home invasions, but it's an important distinction. Just as there is a difference between an after hours bank heist and an armed bank robbery, there is a distinct difference in intent and maliciousness between a home burglary and armed robbery of a dwelling (which is what a home invasion usually is).

That being said, I wouldn't just sit there and ask the guy trying to break in, "are you a burglar or a robber?" :biggrin2:

It's most likely that this guy thought nobody was home (since most homes are empty during the day) and was startled when he heard you yell.
 
#10 ·
Glad you're okay! The only advise I'd offer up is. That pistol should either ride with ya or on ya, if it's gonna be of any use when the poop hits the fan. :han10:

GBK :bier:
 
#12 ·
Well she (the dog) got up and walked toward the kitchen right before it all began. I dont think of her in anyway as a "guard" dog. But I think she knew something was happening. I doubt a dog can sense someone just walking through a back yard with two walls inbetween them.
 
#51 ·
I doubt a dog can sense someone just walking through a back yard with two walls inbetween them.
Mine can ;)
Had a bad guy neighbor walk over, didn't knock or announce his presensce - my Chow dog did, from inside the living room in her crate. I never cease to be amazed by her and I trust her judgement on these things more than she'll ever know!

Gun first, 911 second, yelling is optional. I really prefer not to announce my position, besides I don't feel that a female yelling has as much effect as a man's voice.
 
#13 ·
Yikes. A tip. Keep sharp kitchen knives well hidden; bottom draw instead of top, under something, so if BG gets in the house he doesn't get instant access to a weapon if he failed to bring one.

I've had three incidents happen while I was home--- over 33 years, so not a frequent thing. But two were attempted burglary of a habitation and the other, I never did figure out for sure but I think it was an attempted ambush to get into the house for rape. Happily my wife spotted the dude lurking and I ran him off. Gutsy young man too, as both cars were in the driveway and it was broad daylight.

These days there are a lot of inexpensive security devices on the market. Some work, some are illusion, some are actually fake but look like the real thing. I'm in the process of putting vibration detectors on all my windows. At 2.50 cents each, they are a bargain. Not the same as a wired in monitored system, but hope they will get me a few seconds and also hope that the appearance of precaution taking will send the opportunists elsewhere.

I try to put emphasis on the exterior perimeter, as it is too late once someone is in --even if infra-red detectors, panic buttons and auto dialers call it in.
 
#39 ·
These days there are a lot of inexpensive security devices on the market. Some work, some are illusion, some are actually fake but look like the real thing. I'm in the process of putting vibration detectors on all my windows. At 2.50 cents each, they are a bargain. Not the same as a wired in monitored system, but hope they will get me a few seconds and also hope that the appearance of precaution taking will send the opportunists elsewhere.
These are stand alone devices? Got a link?
 
#15 ·
Interesting how fast things happen and how unexpected they can be. Kind of rattles ya, doesn't it? I noticed you were startled enough to not go get the gun first and chose a knife, but then when you were in the midst of the confrontation you decided you really needed your gun! Best to prepare for these "unexpected emergencies" before they happen so you don't make a bad choice next time.

Also, how would have your wife handled things had she been home like she was supposed to be? Would she have gone for the gun? Would she have done anything defensively? Best to figure these things out ahead of time. True home invasions don't fare very well for the homeowner when they are ill prepared to deal with it immediately, and with a plan that has been thought out well in advance.

I also believe this was more of a residential burglary attempt rather than a home invasion.

Glad it all turned out okay, but you'll gonna need to address those questions if you expect to be properly prepared for the future. Especially regarding how your wife may respond to such a situation should she be home alone.

Three weeks worth of extra patrol don't mean jack in the scheme of things. They might as well not do any extra patrols as it just gives the home owner a false "warm and fuzzy" feeling. "Oh boy... the cops are gonna patrol a little extra!" But only for a couple weeks.

Of course, they could catch the guy trying it again in the neighborhood during those extra patrols, but a smarter burglar would just wait a little longer and change neighborhoods for a while until things return to normal.

I can tell you, that for both my wife and I, anything like what you described happens, a gun goes immediately into our hands. Guns are kept that close in our house. It's only a matter of which gun we'll be arming ourselves with. Will it be a pistol, or an AR-15 carbine loaded with personal defense ammo? Or will it be a shotgun?
 
#16 ·
Bark'n is right about patrol checks. At a department/station that is at all busy, that could mean from zero to one or two drive-bys per shift. The best thing about patrol checks is that if you get in IT, their eta "might" be less.
 
#17 ·
My wife is one of those "Sheep" we all talk about. Her mind set was "this thing happens to OTHER people" now that it has happend to us her whole world is upside down.

When I preached to her in the past about keeping doors locked, and learn how to use a gun she just laughed. Well know she keeps them locked, and wants to learn how to shoot a gun, and get one of her own.

We are going to instal some door/window alarms to give a heads up. We are going to put better doors in and locks.

My wife would have been in bad shape, we have a plan for but I am afraid she will just lock up.

I was surprised at how fast I did respond to the threat all be it might not have been the best way, I did not just sit on my butt waiting for him. I also was happy that even though all I had was my knife on me I was still willing to fight.
 
#18 ·
Look, you have a prime opportunity to work on your wife. Don't let the opportunity slip away. Keep on her and get her to the range as soon as possible before her "upside down" feeling fades away, because it will.

Also, plan your upgrades in security carefully. You can go broke in a week if you try to do everything at once. Especially in today's economy. Spend some time and plan which upgrades you want to do first and which are most important. No one I know of has an unlimited cash flow. Your home improvements and fortifications should take time and be spread out over time according to what priorities you both decide on. Make it a project for both of you to work on together. Make some time to set down together in an organized way and plan your upgrade and home defense strategies out together.

Solar powered flood lights with motion sensors are relatively inexpensive. You can find them around $25 - $40 a set and place them under the eaves on the front and back of the house.

New and stronger doors and better locks are much more expensive and should be done as a planned "capital improvement" done on the home probably over a couple of years.

Alarm systems run the gambit from absolute crap and only a "false sense of security" to pretty decent. The thing about alarms is you have to activate them and use them or they are useless. You can't imagine how many people have alarm systems they don't ever use.

Make sure she stays involved and engaged. But it's important to get her to the range as soon as possible. Shooting is fun and she'll likely enjoy herself. It will give her a feeling of power and the wheels will begin to spin in her head as she starts to warm up to the idea. But you should strike while the irons hot.

Good luck! I wish you both well and remind your wife that no one should live in fear. Like anything new, it will take time to let the gun as part of her defensive system grow on her. But remember, shooting is fun. I know very few women who have a bad experience once they get a chance to send some lead down range.

BTW... I used to live just up the road in Collins.

I highly recommend the Strikemaster II Pro door jamb reinforcement for your exterior door frames to prevent kick-in. I know three people who have that and I'll be upgrading my door frames before too long.

I also recommend The Ultimate Lock high security lock for use on your exterior entry doors.
 
#21 ·
I am glad that everything turned out OK! I live about an hour east of you. My guess it was someone looking for a easy job to support their meth habit. We had an incident at our house not too long ago. My wife now has a Springfield Armory SD 9 SC.

Let me know if we can be of any help!
 
#47 ·
I am glad that everything turned out OK! I live about an hour east of you. My guess it was someone looking for a easy job to support their meth habit. We had an incident at our house not too long ago. My wife now has a Springfield Armory SD 9 SC.

Let me know if we can be of any help!
Yes Please post your event that happened to you...... I like to tell these types of stories to the sheep in my family.
 
#23 ·
The doors are one of those things we have been meaning to replace for a while so the money is there for that.
I am going to get her to the range and try out some guns, she also wants to take some gun/self defense women classes.

Thanks for the info Bark'n some good stuff, and thanks for the support guys.
 
#26 ·
I'm glad you and your family are safe--- My only critique (other than those mentioned) would be to get a bigger dog! A 10# dog will let you know someone is there, but is not likely to be much of a threat to a willful attacker. 2 dogs are better than one, especially when one is BIG.

best wishes.
 
#27 ·
While others have mentioned initiating traing for your wife. There is another part. She must acquire the will to use whatever pistol she trains with, without hesitation. This can be assisted by conversations/discussions to build the right mindset and shooting human picture targets rather than bullseye targets. Without the willingness, the weapon is useless.
 
#28 ·
Stopped at home one day , when I never went home for lunch..... and opened the front door to see the things they had stacked in the livingroom to steal.... as they were hightailing it to the back door, with me in pursuit. Almost had him too in the backyard, called police and they caught him 2 blocks away. All of the burglaries in the area, stopped once he went to jail.
 
#29 ·
Stopped at home one day , when I never went home for lunch..... and opened the front door to see the things they had stacked in the livingroom to steal.... as they were hightailing it to the back door, with me in pursuit. Almost had him too in the backyard, called police and they caught him 2 blocks away. All of the burglaries in the area, stopped once he went to jail.
What? You mean it wasn't his first time? Inconceivable.
 
#31 ·
Gun first, yell second.

And don't let anyone tell you a woman can't handle a Rem 870 12 ga. My wife is pretty small and loves hers. She likes shooting it as much or more than her pistol. I had to do some work to it, adjustable stock and shorten barrel to help out with weight and fit. But it's one serious home defense weapon. Oh, and she had never touched a gun till we met. And never seriously shot a gun before 2 yrs ago.
 
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