The Anatomy Of A Break-In

PIC 1: Goodbye PS3 :(

PIC 2: New home (hopefully temporary) of my Blog. Pic taken in 2007- I would have included a more recent photo, but my digital camera was amongst the items stolen!!!



Hi again and welcome back to my blog. The primary reason of this blog is for me to entertain, and be silly and humorous. I even had some fun stuff planned such as: Why must we eat breakfast foods for breakfast? And why does every Incredible Hulk movie suck, but that will have to wait. Unfortunately, it's time for me to get serious.

Yesterday, July 31st, I was the victim of a break-in. Yesterday was a busy day, I had a a 12 hour end of month work shift, followed by a night out with my friends from my fantasy football league in our annual rules committee meeting. By the time I arrived home it was after 1 am. If you have ever been the victim of a break-in you surely know what I am about to describe. Upon opening the door, I could just sense something was very, very wrong. Things were in disarray. My TV was rolled at an angle, blocking the center of the room. Instantly , I had this sinking sensation, and a sick feeling in my stomach.

My first reaction was to go for the high-priced items, and the things I value the most. I looked for my laptop under the blanket on my couch- GONE. I scanned my entertainment center for my PS3- gone, as well as ALL my games. My digital camera was also amongst the missing. Let me tell you, this is not an easy situation to deal with. Intense emotions overwhelmed me: Rage, depression, and most of all helplessness. There was nothing I could do.

So, I made my first ever call to 911. They connected me with the Orlando police, and as you can guess a simple home break-in is not high on the priority list of a major city. Finally, well after 2 am the police arrived. Instantly they came to the same conclusion that I did: inside job. No sign of forced entry, and the only things missing were the high priced items. So all signs pointed to my ex roommate.

What I am going to tell you next is VERY IMPORTANT. Please don't make the same mistake I made. Whenever you living situation changes, ALWAYS change your locks! You can buy a new lock with two keys at any Home Depot or Lowe's for under $10. It's easily installed with just a Phillip's head screw driver. Don't be lulled into false security by someone giving you your keys back when they move out like I was either. Assuming someone won't stoop that low is another mistake. Times are tough, people are desperate, and it's a sad but true fact that many people out there will screw you over in a second for there own personal gain. Another tip the officer told me was to save your receipts and boxes from your high tech items. Serial numbers catch more criminals then fingerprints, according to the cop.

So, I had been broken into, and I knew who did it. Unfortunately, Knowing and proving are two very different things. After going to work for my Saturday morning shift, I was told that the suspect (who had been fired from work in May), was at the office on Thursday, and told everyone he was moving out of the state! So, yes it all makes sense now. Having worked for my company previously, he knew that the last day of the month was a 12 hour shift. He broke in the my condo, took the high priced items, and yes, left the state of Florida! I have reported all of this info to the Orlando police, but I am not very optimistic of any good outcome. I will just have to learn from my mistakes, and move on.

Dealing with my emotions has been the toughest part so far. The worst part is feeling that there is nothing I can do about it. My digital camera I can probably replace. As for my PS3 it's doubtful. Its a very expensive game system at about $500. Even if I had that kind of money, it's doubtful I could justify spending it on a gaming system that I rarely use. It was nice owning it, but in the 3 years since I purchased it, my priorities in life have changed. In the next year I am planning to get married and start a family, so guess it's time to give up gaming. Who knows, maybe someday I will get a PS4. The laptop will be missed the most! Wow, come to think of it I even named my blog "Thoughts from the Red Couch" cause I was using my laptop there. I am now forced to do my blog here at my old desktop. Hopefully I will be able to replace it soon.

Next time, hopefully its back to more silliness and random observations with this blog. Until next time, please remember to change your locks and always protect your home and your belongings. Hopefully the scum that stole my stuff gets what's coming to him!