Wake up at 3 a.m. & back door is open... someone broke in?

[swbluto]

I wake up at 3:00 a.m. as part of my daily ritual. In recent times, I've been trying to fall back asleep soon after as I'm trying to break that habit.

Today, however, I decided to get on the computer. After I got off the computer, I decided to walk around (It's what I usually do, I guess), and I noticed the back door was open.

I froze.

Because, I have a habit of closing doors and locking them whenever they're open as it's usually cold outside. And I have a habit of walking around the area pretty frequently, so it seemed kind of surprising to see it open.

I quietly went back to my room, grabbed my pocket knife and pepper spray, and made a MAD DASH for the stairs, went up the stairs and out the front door. The vast majority of people breaking into houses are thieves, not murderers, but even if it was a murderer, I didn't want to give it much of a chance to catch me, lol.

I went to the garage to get my electric stun baton, and then got the dog to help my check out and clear out the premises. The dog was pretty useless... definitely not trained to be a 'search dog'... but at least she didn't find anything. While walking down the stairs, I let out a warning spark, and then proceeded to clear it out.

No sign.

So, I put the dog outside and... she again was pretty useless... didn't really 'search the premises' or anything... just looking at me like, "Are you going to let me back in? It's COLD out here."... but, I'm hoping if there was a perp, it would've fled by now.

Interestingly, the back light wasn't working. It seems like it was working a week ago, so I'm going to check that out in the morning time...

My suspicion is that the light was unscrewed, though I'll have to verify that in the morning.

Constantly looking over my shoulder...

I know the annual property crime rate in my city is something like 1 in 12, and that guy who seemed like a thief just came upto the garage two weeks ago, so I'm suspecting there was a thief who broke in and it was him.

Again, I'll have to examine the evidence in the morning.

Jesus...

Can I get some sleep tonight?

lol....

I think that's going to be a nope, lol. I was fine with thinking it's just my paranoia running wild and I just didn't close the door yesterday night for whatever reason, but the outdoor light just suddenly not working was just too convenient. And, thinking about the thief who came upto me in my garage 2 weeks ago, it seems like I have a good clue to who it might be.

 

[swbluto]

If the evidence suggests a break-in, then I'm definitely petitioning for security cameras, lol.

I was thinking about it when the thief approached me in the garage 2 weeks ago, but didn't really pursue it. Didn't think it was an "imminent threat" and I knew my household wouldn't splurge for something like that without a solid reason for it.

I noticed in my advertising research that the security systems business has been booming in recent years. Now, I'm starting to think I understand why... lol

 

[swbluto]

Dawn has broke and I checked out the light. Appeared to be screwed in. Tried to turn it on, didn't turn on.

This light is one of those "13,000 hour" fluorescent bulbs or 11 years. I'm pretty sure it was installed within the last two years and it's not on most of the time. When it was turned on, however, it would turn on.

I replaced the bulb with a new one, apparently that one worked.

Weird.

The bulb is defective?

Looks like there's a crack in the bulb and the gas inside leaked. Hmmm... not sure if that's natural or man-made.

The bulb was in a protected enclosure, so you wouldn't expect it to be accidentally damaged. But, maybe the bulb cracked under normal thermal expansion and contraction as the temperature changed? But, you'd think an outdoor bulb wouldn't be vulnerable to that...

Still, if it's man-made, I'm not sure how it could've been caused and something like this would seem to be too sophisticated and convoluted for the average thief. However, maybe he's pretty experienced and skilled? :/

For a thief to cause the crack, it appears he would've had to remove the bulb from the enclosure and then crack the bulb and screw it back in. I wouldn't think a run-of-mill neighborhood thief would be that sophisticated? However, it's possible, I suppose.

Better not start hypothesizing FBI involvement, lol. Then I'd be *really* entering paranoid schizophrenia territory, lol.

(It's like, why would the FBI or some powerful organization of sorts be interested in me? It'd be hard to believe an individual would be so interested in me and I'm not like a terrorist or anything...:? But, still, I guess I wonder... if any of my writings online have a terrorist vibe to them or something given the FBI has already contacted me over some questions I had, once. They apparently already have a 13-page case file on me, at least when they last contacted me a year ago.)

Jeez. I really hope my chance of joining the military isn't being screwed up by the FBI. I'd be all fine if MEPS just denied me based on psychological instability or something, but it would suck if they denied me because of my casefile when I've committed absolutely no crimes or anything of the sort.

 

[The fingers]

Most of those "curly" bulbs blow the mercury at about two years, some last longer than others. The newer, more expensive LED bulbs should outlast all the previous versions; and are compatible with motion-sensing timer/photocell outdoor fixtures. I went to a solar-powered outdoor motion-activated LED light that was on sale a few years ago for the area near my back gate and I like it very much. A lazer pointer from the 99 cent store could give the impression that you are armed with more than pepper spray in the dark. Hope you get the bad guys.

 

[Ypedal]

so.. is anything missing ?

 

[fizzit]

I don't think that you create enough pointless threads...

 

[dnmun]

yep, not enuff threads. we don't have one on the bowel movements yet.

 

[e-beach]

....

Better not start hypothesizing FBI involvement, lol. Then I'd be *really* entering paranoid schizophrenia territory, lol.

(It's like, why would the FBI or some powerful organization of sorts be interested in me? It'd be hard to believe an individual would be so interested in me and I'm not like a terrorist or anything...:? But, still, I guess I wonder... if any of my writings online have a terrorist vibe to them or something given the FBI has already contacted me over some questions I had, once. They apparently already have a 13-page case file on me, at least when they last contacted me a year ago.)...........

You can always fill out a FOIA request.
http://www.fbi.gov/foia/requesting-fbi-records

 

[dnmun]

or better yet you can type up a letter or cut and paste words from the newspaper telling them that you will give up on your plans to bomb the federal court house if they will remove all the incriminating info from your 19 page file. tell them they have 2 weeks to fix it or else. just don't use your real name when you mail it.

 

[bigmoose]

Most important, any damage to the door, it's lock, or the jamb? How did the burglar open the door?

 

[dogman dan]

In outdoor use, those curly bulbs tend to crack from thermal shocks. Most common in the winter though.

I doubt the light out was done by a thief, but he may have seen an opportunity when it was out. Spooky to find that door open. I hope it was just something like the latch got stuck, then the door blew open later. I've had that happen more than once.

Mabye he got in, and saw clues that you have a dog and boogied?

 

[amberwolf]

Maybe your dog is smarter than you think, and opened the door itself. I've had several of them that have figured out how to do that, over the years.

If the bulb has no cover preventing touching the bulb, it only takes a tap on it to crack it. A BB thru a straw could be enough to do that if they're good at it and the angle's right, or even a small rock tossed in. A rubber ball or even tennis ball can also be used and get rebound so indirect hits can be done.


Thieves can be smart...most of them aren't, but those that are could pick the locks instead of forcing them, especially if they case your place for a while first to see what your schedule is. Any kind of regular schedule will leave them an opening to do what they want.

 

[swbluto]

Anyway, it seems like the light probably naturally blew out, despite it being well under its projected lifespan. The plastic base had yellowing, suggesting it's been used quite a bit.

As to why the door was open, no idea. I wouldn't doubt it was unlocked, and it's possible it would've swung open with people clambering around the house.

There seems to be no overt evidence of theft, though I wouldn't know 100%.

Reasonably, it wouldn't seem likely someone broke in. But, at 3:00 a.m. in the morning with 4 hours of sleep after getting awoken by the neighbors, it takes on a whole another dimension and one can't be too careful.

Thinking it might be a good idea to have a bug detector, but the ones I see look to have a foot's worth of range, and it sounds like it'd be a PITA to thoroughly scan the house, lol. So, I think I'll pass, lol.

The dog was in the kennel before letting her out. She's a selfish pug that apparently just wanted to go back into her kennel to go to sleep. Of course, I understand she probably didn't understand she was supposed to do a sweep of the area, but still, quite ineffective as a guard dog at that moment. She's usually quite vigilant during the day.

 

[swbluto]

....

Better not start hypothesizing FBI involvement, lol. Then I'd be *really* entering paranoid schizophrenia territory, lol.

(It's like, why would the FBI or some powerful organization of sorts be interested in me? It'd be hard to believe an individual would be so interested in me and I'm not like a terrorist or anything...:? But, still, I guess I wonder... if any of my writings online have a terrorist vibe to them or something given the FBI has already contacted me over some questions I had, once. They apparently already have a 13-page case file on me, at least when they last contacted me a year ago.)...........

You can always fill out a FOIA request.
http://www.fbi.gov/foia/requesting-fbi-records

I looked at that, but then I noticed the emboldened text:

you cannot use the eFOIA Form to submit a Privacy Act Request about yourself or another living person.

Then they suggest to use the Certificate of Identity form to get info on yourself. What's that?

A certificate of identity, sometimes called an alien's passport, is a travel document issued by states to stateless persons residing within their borders and foreign nationals who are unable to obtain a passport from their state of nationality. Some states also issue certificates of identity to their own nationals as a form of emergency passport. Unlike holders of refugee travel documents, holders of most states' certificates of identity are not per se entitled to readmission into the state which issued the certificate of identity.

Apparently it's info confirming my status as a citizen. In other words, they're not going to be releasing their case-files about me while I'm alive, which seems like a sensible policy.

 

[swbluto]

yep, not enuff threads. we don't have one on the bowel movements yet.

Hey now, have a little patience, will you? It's coming, I promise.

 

[John in CR]

1 in 12 annually...move to a better location in the world, which is over 99% of all places.

 

[TheBeastie]

There seems to be no overt evidence of theft, though I wouldn't know 100%.

Thinking it might be a good idea to have a bug detector, but the ones I see look to have a foot's worth of range, and it sounds like it'd be a PITA to thoroughly scan the house, lol. So, I think I'll pass, lol.

Maybe some one has been reading your stock market prediction ideas on ES and thought it would be worth while to break into your house and have a look through your computer to see if there are any more.

If your going to get a security camera I been eyeing these "D-Link Enhanced-Motion" ones as they have a built in PIR so the motion detection on it is quality because most security camera motion detection just works by changes in lighting so every time clouds cover the sun etc I get emails of images/videos of slight lighting changes, I have a few of these types and they are just annoying.

Don't confuse "PIR" with just "IR" which is just lighting to see in the dark (Night Vision), which most have.
http://www.dlink.com/us/en/home-solutions/view/network-cameras?features=enhanced-motion

 

[swbluto]

There seems to be no overt evidence of theft, though I wouldn't know 100%.

Thinking it might be a good idea to have a bug detector, but the ones I see look to have a foot's worth of range, and it sounds like it'd be a PITA to thoroughly scan the house, lol. So, I think I'll pass, lol.

Maybe some one has been reading your stock market prediction ideas on ES and thought it would be worth while to break into your house and have a look through your computer to see if there are any more. :|

Yeah, so the FBI called me and they obviously suspected me of being a terrorist and compiled 13-pages on the subject and apparently had been on the investigation for 2 years leading upto the interview. So, given the increasing surveillance of the USA and 'terrorism paranoia' in recent years since the passage of the Patriot Act, I think I have more substantial reason to suspect bugs being planted than the average person. The guy said that the case was closed after interviewing me, but is it really? Don't know. They're not going to tell me if they didn't. ("Yeah, the case is still open, so watch your guard! lol")

If they never contacted me, I'd totally agree, I probably should be creating a tin-foil hat in advance, lol.

Hey NSA, if you're listening...

ALLAHU AKBAR! ALLAHU AKBAR! Just kidding. :wink:

 

[cal3thousand]

Those stupid bulbs NEVER last as long as they are supposed to. That yellowing is just sign that the unit got too hot and the design/build was poor in that regard.

One thing about thieves is that some turn into murderers in order to escape being caught. One kid I knew in High School was stabbed to death when he and his mother came home to find the front door open. Instead of staying out and calling the cops, he went to "clear" the place and surprised the thief. He died from the stab wounds, at a local hospital.

Not trying to scare anyone, but you were smart to run out.

 

[Dauntless]

I don't think that you create enough pointless threads...

It's all in the metaphor:

He went to get on the computer, the BACK DOOR WAS OPEN. The sneaky way in.

HE FROZE. Powerlessness.

He grabbed a POCKETKNIFE. (Possibly a Swiss Army Knife.) Always be prepared is often so inadequate. As Napoleon said, a river might SEEM easy to protect from a crossing, but then they bring an entire column in one place, while you're spread out across the opposite bank protecting from all points of the river.

The BACK LIGHT WASN'T WORKING. Hasn't everyone suspected. . . ?

All these theories of the FBI, NSA. Oh, the need to be NOTICED. . . !

Especially when there's that feeling of hanging from a cliff, not daring to look down, only hoping to hear a voice promising. . . .

I KNEW I'd find a use for that picture. And you thought this thread was POINTLESS.

 

[HAROX]

SW, I feel for you. Anxiety is a bitch. I hope you can figure it out, because you have a great mind.
I sleep with the back door open. Sometimes I walk outside nude. Sure, every once in awhile I get caught with my pants down. Sometimes somebody steals a bike from me. Life's too short as it is, sw.
I've been thinking how your handle is blue, swbluto, like a guru here on this forum. Have you ever considered changing it back to just black? Living the blue life might be getting to you, really. It may sound trivial, but you never know what a color change could do.

swbluto, or swbluto. Your choice I know.
The forum allows you to have your color choice because they could care less, but the truth is, you have to lead US ALL, one way or the other. And being led down a road of anxiety, sw, isn't what I have in mind, for myself or for you.
BTW, I have come to realize I'm not a troll after all, just outspoken.

 

[swbluto]

I don't think that you create enough pointless threads...

It's all in the metaphor:

He went to get on the computer, the BACK DOOR WAS OPEN. The sneaky way in.

HE FROZE. Powerlessness.

He grabbed a POCKETKNIFE. (Possibly a Swiss Army Knife.) Always be prepared is often so inadequate. As Napoleon said, a river might SEEM easy to protect from a crossing, but then they bring an entire column in one place, while you're spread out across the opposite bank protecting from all points of the river.

The BACK LIGHT WASN'T WORKING. Hasn't everyone suspected. . . ?

All these theories of the FBI, NSA. Oh, the need to be NOTICED. . . !

Especially when there's that feeling of hanging from a cliff, not daring to look down, only hoping to hear a voice promising. . . .

I KNEW I'd find a use for that picture. And you thought this thread was POINTLESS.

*Yawn*. Please stop giving me a reason to call you a troll?

 

[swbluto]

SW, I feel for you. Anxiety is a bitch. I hope you can figure it out, because you have a great mind.
I sleep with the back door open. Sometimes I walk outside nude. Sure, every once in awhile I get caught with my pants down. Sometimes somebody steals a bike from me. Life's too short as it is, sw.
I've been thinking how your handle is blue, swbluto, like a guru here on this forum. Have you ever considered changing it back to just black? Living the blue life might be getting to you, really. It may sound trivial, but you never know what a color change could do.

swbluto, or swbluto. Your choice I know.
The forum allows you to have your color choice because they could care less, but the truth is, you have to lead US ALL, one way or the other. And being led down a road of anxiety, sw, isn't what I have in mind, for myself or for you.

I don't really care what my name's color is. :| And, it certainly doesn't enter my mind when it's 3 in the morning and the backdoor is open and it's NEVER open.

I just asked to post on the technical reference subforum and, *boom*, it's blue.

Doesn't matter to me if it's black, blue, green, pink, whatever, it's just a color.

 

[HAROX]

Also sw, I totally agree with your feelings about D. He's a D-railleur in the nth degree sometimes. Now back to your solution to this anxiety...

 

[swbluto]

Anxiety, yeah I have that I guess, but I don't consider it a problem IN THIS SITUATION. What I did CERTAINLY had survival value. When there's an animal rustling around in your den intent on eating you as it's pretty hungry, it's best to be prepared to either fight or flight (I was smart enough to prepare for both at the same time, *pops the collar*). This animalistic drive is totally natural and has real survival value and I'm not going to forsake it.

Imagine if there WAS someone in the house. You wouldn't say my 'anxiety' was a problem then, would ya?