Someone broke into my house tonight.

[Puff Daddy]

Very weird situation. It was almost exactly midnight. We have a little Yorkie dog that sleeps in our bed. The dog started that low, unsure woofing that dogs do when they're not sure if there's something there to bark at or not. I heard some sort of noise coming from the living room that I assumed was the kids (it's the weekend, they are 10 and 8 and think it's great fun to stay up on saturday night and watch television after the old people have gone to bed). The wife hears the noise too and says "That isn't the kids, I put them to bed". I jump up out of bed just as I hear what is obviously the sliding glass door opening and I'm thinking "Oh shit, WTF?" I run out into the living room to see a figure coming through the closed blinds that cover the door and I ran towards it. I never thought of a weapon or anything, only to put myself between whatever was coming through the door and my kids.

Before I got halfway there the figure of a woman turns to look at me. Mid 20's with long curly black hair. There was a side lamp with a dimmer turned low so there was just enough light to kind of see. I was on her before she had both feet through the door and saw her face, it was obvious she was not right. Scared, confused. First thing out my mouth was "Why are you here?" She looked scared. I looked down and saw her feet were bare and her leg was bleeding. I threw on a light and walked her to a chair and sat her down. My wife came out and immediatley started covering her with a blanket and cleaned her up a little. We could hardly get two words out of her. While my wife tended to her I went in the bedroom and called the police.

We live at the edge of a greenbelt and she wandered up out of there, an open space of oaks and brush. She was all scratched up from coming up out of there. She was wearing a nice black dress, had an expensive handbag, but no shoes. Our door was locked and she didn't just wander into the house, she forced the door open. It was wide open now but still the lock mechanism was locked. The police arrived with some paramedics (7 or 8 of them all together) and they were able to get a little out of her, but not much. She thought she was in Rancho Murieta (20 miles away), wasn't sure or wouldn't say who she'd been with or why she was in the area, wouldn't say why she came into my home. When they went through her purse to find some identification they pulled out a large knife with all the other things you'd expect a young lady to be carrying around. Strangely, no cell phone or keys. They took her away on a gurney.

Could have ended badly. I never thought to grab a gun, but with kids in the house I don't keep a loaded gun handy, it would have taken me more than a minute to get to one and load it. And if I had, what if I'd have shot at her coming though the door? She's just a kid and looks like something bad might have happened to her, or maybe she just got wasted and thought she was back home. What if I hadn't woke up, if the dog hadn't barked? What would she have done once inside the house? The only good scenario seems to be the one that played out, we calmly sat her down, cleaner her up and got some help for her.

Strange thing, when it was over and the police were leaving, I asked for an incident report number. Got a big sigh and a pause, like they didn't want to give it to me. They never asked if I wanted to press charges for breaking and entering, didn't want a statement beyond what I told them the first 10 seconds when they arrived. Really I just wanted to be able to find out who she was, what happened and why she broke into my house after they got her sorted out. Seems reasonable. Maybe if she has a record and was on dope and involved in some bad stuff I would want to press charges. Maybe she intended to break in, I don't know.

So much for sleeping tonight.

 

[Fr_Tom]

I came home once and found my dalmation barking at the front door trying to get in the house. She was very anxious and trying to get at something. In the house - very confused - was a neighbor with his t-shirt off and wrapped around his bloody hand and arm. He was asking what had happened to his things. Other people had furniture in his house and a dog had attacked him. I took him to his house and he called his sister. I checked to see if he needed to go to the hopital.

He had had an "incident" and thought my house was his and he had locked himself out. He forced his way in and my dog bit him a couple of times before he got her outside and I came home.

I did not call the police but checked in on him for a couple of days to make sure he was OK. He told me he was just glad he had not been shot.

Glad this one ended as well as it did for you.

 

[Mozjo33]

Crazy story PD. I'm glad to hear that you and your family are safe. That really could have been a bad situation. Hope the young lady is okay. All the best!

 

[Brewdude]

Sounds like you handled the situation well PD, given the circumstances.

How could a young gal force open a locked door though? Perhaps that door needs a more secure locking mechanism.

I suspect that she was high on something and confused rather than trying to burgle you. Can't say I'm impressed with your police, not taking a detailed statement from you and acting put out in giving you an incident number. Did you get any of the officers badge numbers?

And then what if it had been a guy or two breaking in for the purpose of theft, maybe armed with a gun? Going to check it out unarmed could have proven fatal. Although I do understand your position what with having a couple kids in the house.

Just glad it didn't turn out much worse.


Cheers,

RR

 

[smg913]

that's extreme. I am glad it turned out the way it did and everyone is okay. sometimes when all you can do is react in a situation, its best to trust your instincts. a million different things could have happened but they didn't. it sounds like your kids could possibly start calling you ninja dad or something along those lines.

 

[Feazelle-n-it]

That seems a little suspicious. But then again I'm a skeptic. My sister and brother in law are police officers and I hear all the horror stories. Anyone who breaks into my house is getting a warning to leave or the business end of a shotgun.

 

[skaukatt]

Upon reading your ordeal I immediately recalled a situation from my family three years ago but was quickly convinced it was not the same reason as you mentioned this was a young lady in her mid 20's.

My mother-in-law, who was 62, and passed away two years ago from Alzheimer's and dementia related complications, was prone to fleeing the house and my father-in-law always had to keep a close watch on her. On one such day he was using the bathroom and came out to find that my mother-in-law was nowhere to be found. In a panic, he ran outside to begin his search. He found her on a neighbors porch trying to fit her keys into the lock on their front door - she thought it was her house. He asked her what she was doing and she said she was going home.

In your situation it seems that this young lady was under the influence of something. I would want to find out what the outcome was and why this young lady found her way into your house. I wonder if law enforcement would tell you what the story was?

Anyway, it looks like it worked out for the best and you will be replacing or upgrading the lock and security of that door, no doubt.

 

[Ocelot55]

That's one hell of a story, PD. Thank God no one got hurt and that everything seems to be working out alright. Hearing this story makes me super curious as well. There are so many unanswered questions. It seems to me that she was probably under the influence of something. Glad to hear everything turned out alright.

 

[Puff Daddy]

I think it was obvious that the girl was either suffering from some sort of trauma or was on something. The theme from everyone involved, including us, was to get her some help. The police were treating her as a possible victim, which I had no problem with. Honestly, the wife and I would like to know that she is OK.

However, she did manage to force open a locked screen door, and then a locked sliding glass door. I went outside after they left and tried to push them open when locked myself and was not able to do it, to the point where I thought I may break something if I continued to force it. Also, she had a large folding knife (over7" folded) on her when she broke in. The noise the dog heard, and then I heard, was her trying to force the doors open. They were definitely locked.

I'm torn about the gun thing. I'm a shotgun guy. Best defender for in home defense, imho. For years I always had one stashed close to the bed with ammo within reach. Probably under 10 seconds to fetch it, load it and be defendable. We are raising our granddaughters now, the older one has ADHD issues and other hyper activity issues. She is into everything. For me it just wasn't worth the risk of her managing to get ahold of a weapon. The shotgun is in a case behind some heavy boxes in a closet. Maybe it's because I'm older now, but I tend to err on the side of overprotection and over caution and feel that the risk of a live firearm in my situation isn't worth it. I may look into getting a handgun and one of those bedside safes that require the finger sequence code to open. The girl is getting better now that she's getting older, and she doesn't go looking for things to screw with as often as she used to.

When my daughters were young they all took hunter/firearms safety courses and I made them work at the trap club where I used to shoot. Not because they wanted anything to do with guns (they didn't), but because they had access to them.

Any child in a home with guns and ammo in it, even if locked away securely, has access to it. Children are usually as smart as adults, are definitely more curious thatn adults, and usually will be alone in the home at some point.

The other thought that I can't shake is, what if I did run out there with a gun? This girl came through the door and didn't stop when I approached her. She was disoriented. I coaxed to into a chair a few feet from the door. What if I was unable to identify her as a young female, had shouted for her to stop and she didn't because of her disorientation, and then I shot her because I thought she was a dnager refusing to stop? I could have killed a young lady who was sufferring from some sort of trauma or other issue and intended (possibly) no harm.

There's a flip side to everything.

 

[bentbulldog]

That's actually kind of admirable.

Who knows what the woman was going through or how she got there, but you offered her a hand instead of the end of a barrel, in a society where it's now becoming more common to hear stories about shoot first ask questions later.

I'd love to find out what happened later!

 

[Feazelle-n-it]

I can understand your position. My family takes highest priority and anyone in my house unauthorized is assumed a threat. I will warn the suspect. If unarmed and still advancing I have less lethal courses of action. If I'm subdued, my wife is just as good a shot as I am.

My son is two, but as soon as he's old enough to understand I will start training him in firearms safety.

This world is full of crazy people and I'll be damned if I'm not going to do all I can to protect those that I care about.

 

[Puff Daddy]

The sun is now up and we took a little walk around outside. Found her black high heel shoes on a small hill a few feet from our patio. Looks like she was carrying them because they're not muddied up. She stumbled through the flowerbed knocking over a couple of pots.

I guess now I have a reason to go to the police dept monday and ask questions - I have some of her property to return to her. The shoes are nice but they're not my size

 

[RDPipes]

I think your actions were for a reason even if you were unaware, someone
was guiding you. It's obvious there is something wrong with the girl, she may
have even been a victim of a rape, attempted rape or some other traumatic
experience and was dumped near by. Lets hope she gets the help she needs
and something much lesser is the answer to her winding up at your house.

 

[flytyer]

Happy to hear this worked out in the best possible way. I think the dog deserves praise for giving the early warning.

 

[Briar Spirit]

I do hope my suspicions are wrong PD but this person broke into your house with a 7" knife on her, I'd keep vigilant for a few nights myself, may be she was a victim and maybe not so much, I don't know of course but you don't get too many victims breaking into houses with a bloody great big knife on them do you mate, keep safe and stay aware.

 

[Puff Daddy]

Went ahead and called police dispatch, they sent an officer over to pick up the ladies shoes. The officer said he'd go by the hospital and give them to her if she's still there, if not they go to lost property at the police dept.. The dispatcher said they don't usually have much information on medical cases turned over to the fire department (medics took her away in an ambulance) unless there is criminal follow up, and they're not allowed to convey personal information anyhow. They do post a daily police log on their website and I'll be able to see whatever was written on the incident, but it probably won't be much. In this case the responding officers (there were 5 on scene at one point) felt it was a person in distress call and not a criminal intent issue, and honestly I have no problem with that assessment. I guess they positively ID'ed her, ran her on their computer and she wasn't wanted for anything, determined that it was a medical need issue, and that the disoriented lady was lucky to have picked our home. They did say she was taken to the hospital down the street and that I could try to go there and get more information if I wanted, but I doubt they would give me any. I don't want to press charges, so I think I just let it end there.

Going to Lowes to buy a secondary lock for that slider.

 

[Puff Daddy]

I do hope my suspicions are wrong PD but this person broke into your house with a 7" knife on her.

It was in her purse, she wasn't brandishing it. When the officer was going through her purse he commented "Why are you carrying such a big knife?" But he put it back with the rest of her belongings. Not illegal. I guess a girl going out drinking might want to have something to scare off any unwanted advances.

 

[Briar Spirit]

Stay vigilant all the same Buddy.

 

[monbla256]

Given all the circumstances of this event in your house, you are to be COMENDED for your INTELEGENT and REASONED reaction to it all !! Especially in the "shoot first and figure it out later" mood so many folks have in this country now !! That was quite an evening you and your family had!! Wish more folks had the pressence of mind as you !

 

[Clay]

That's scary.  I believe you did the right thing. Hopefully when she gets over her trauma she'll let you know her story. Her story may be as scary as your's. Good for you.