All 4 Cars broken into!

[BostonSully]

Last night all 4 of my family's Cars were broken into. We live in a pretty quite neighborhood and left them unlocked ( I guess dumbly) woke up to notice open doors and some missing items. From my Father's truck they stole about $25 that he uses to pay for parking and some stupid stuff like a couple tools. Then from my sister's car they stole her Ipod, Ipod Dock, GPS and about $50. Lucky for me i had just cleaned my car out and had nothing in it except my golf bag! But they did not take that (probably too big). My mom's car also had nothign worth taking in it.

Wait actually I just realized they stole a 12 pack!!! I forgot I had that in there, bastards!

My question is how would this make you feel. It makes me feel angry and sort of violated in a way that somebody would just Rumage through my car in my driveway like that all sneaky like at night! It makes me question what some people's problem is and I dont know what I would do if I had awoken to witness/catch those kids. I do have a baseball bat in my room for reasons like this, but I dont know if I would grab that and head down to scare them off or just call the cops. But when somebody is invading your privacy like that its tough to know how you would infact react.

[jamo]

What town are you in? Did you leave the garage door open? in some places that's like an invitation.

I guess I'm lucky that no one has ever tried to take any of my stuff. Especially since I just installed a new stereo.

[Danny Noonan]

I hate thieves, especially those who steal things from people's unattended cars.

But I wouldn't say they broke into your cars if you left them unlocked. Your leaving them unlocked was sort of an invitation. I bet if they were locked, they would have passed on by. But thieves always go for low hanging fruit.

Sorry about the losses your family sustained.

[BostonSully]

I hate thieves, especially those who steal things from people's unattended cars.

Yes well we kind of live on a hill in the woods. Theres about 15 houses on my street and were not that easy to walk to unless you lived in the area. Honestly we have never had a problem and its not like they were parked on the side of the street. These thieves were probably walking around cold checking the doors on every car in like the whole the town. I mean they walked onto my private property opened a door and stole goods, thats breaking and entering, whether the door was locked or not is irrelevant.

[iacas]

I hate thieves, especially those who steal things from people's unattended cars.

I'd agree that they didn't "break" into the cars, but that's entirely different than saying it's an "invitation."

I think that the definition of "breaking" is probably different by the state or even local laws, but it's definitely "unlawful entry" if nothing else. Or criminal trespassing (though that may apply more to homes or buildings or something). As for the question, I'd feel violated because your property was violated. But I lock my car in the garage out of force of habit, and I live in a nice neighborhood. Better safe than sorry. I'm not "blaming the victim" - again it's not an "invitation" at all - I'm just pointing out that this instance was probably preventable.

[kpaulhus]

I would feel violated that someone was close enough to look and see my car was unlocked, but at the same time feel pretty mad at myself for leaving it unlocked.

[BostonSully]

Yes I know we should've had the Cars locked. Who's to say though that if they could see my sisters GPS and stuff through the window they dont just smash and run? Who knows what somebody sneaking around in the darkness going into and thieving whatever unlocked thing they can find is willing to do.

I know this: 1) Trespassing when they stepped onto our property w/o consent. 2) Unlawful Entry when they opened the car doors 3) Grand Larceny Greater than $250 for the theft I dont know how you can say leaving the car doors unlocked is an "invitation" I believe as owners of private property we have a reasonable right to expect that intruders are not looking into our cars to see whether they are locked or not at night. Actually I found this:

* Section 16 Breaking and entering at night Section 16. Whoever, in the night time, breaks or enters a building, ship, vessel or vehicle, with intent to commit a felony, or who attempts to or does break, burn, blow up or otherwise injures or destroys a safe, vault or other depository of money, bonds or other valuables in any building, vehicle or place, with intent to commit a larceny or felony, whether he succeeds or fails in the perpetration of such larceny or felony, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years or in a jail or house of correction for not more than two and one-half years.

Sounds like it was breaking and entering to me.

[Danny Noonan]

Nevermind.

[bwdial]

Up until a few years ago, my aunt and uncle used to leave their cars unlocked... with the keys in the ignition .

Since meth has gotten to be popular around these parts they've stopped this practice.

[jangro]

Being local, I'm also wondering what town you're in. I live out in the 'burbs and never lock my car doors. I know I should.

Definitely a horrible feeling. I've had cars broken into, and the whole car stolen once when I lived in Worcester. The violated feeling is magnified when you know they'd been on a joy-ride in your car. My car was an SUV and they took it through the woods and left it bottomed out and stranded on a pile of rocks. :/

[jamo]

I dont know how you can say leaving the car doors unlocked is an "invitation" I believe as owners of private property we have a reasonable right to expect that intruders are not looking into our cars to see whether they are locked or not at night.

I think I was the first to say this, but I meant it more tounge-in-cheek than anything. In some areas of Boston if you park your car without locking it YOU WILL get robbed, no doubt about it.

[BostonSully]

I think I was the first to say this, but I meant it more tounge-in-cheek than anything. In some areas of Boston if you park your car without locking it YOU WILL get robbed, no doubt about it.

I dont live downtown anymore actually in a Burb' on the South Shore.... Ive lived in Fall River and downtown boston. You'd think id be smart enough to lock up but my quite little hilly town made me think I didnt have to worry about it.

[BostonSully]

My theory is that these are Teenagers local punks who's parents probably dont notice their out in the middle of the night on school nights. I think this because they stole a 1/2 pack of Cigarettes and a 12pack of Budwieser. Doesnt sound like the MO of a serial car burgler.

[Bo the Golfer]

I dont live downtown anymore actually in a Burb' on the South Shore.... Ive lived in Fall River and downtown boston. You'd think id be smart enough to lock up but my quite little hilly town made me think I didnt have to worry about it.

As you found out Sully you don't need to live in town or Fall River to get jacked. I have lived in tiny towns (grew up in Wenham on the North Shore) and now live in a nice town on the South Shore and have seen crime in both areas. To your question though I would certainly feel violated. This happened to me when I lived in Methuen (next to Lawrence for those in the know). I was dumb to leave my car unlocked but luckily they just took some loose change. Insurance should cover your missing items though.

[ghalfaire]

One of the more disheartening things about getting older is how the people's attitudes change. I grew up in a rural area and we never locked anything. Not sure we even had a key to the house as it was never locked, keys to the trucks, tractors, cars were alway in the ignition. We didn't lock tool sheds or post guards on the livestock. But nothing was ever stolen. As I aged however it all changed and we had to lock everything. People would even risk their lives to steal the large copper high voltage wire feeding power to our pumps. I have often wondered how one justifies to themselves taking something that doesn't belong to them. While it would seem that thieves are a minority, they are certainly more numerous than when I was young and do far more damage today. I have a close family member who is a Law Enforcement officer and they tell me it that 70% of the crime is drug related in this area. A different world indeed!

[chef35ca]

Already had it happen once & caught the guy in the act. I came out of my backyard with my louisville slugger cocked & i was looking for blood. He ran really fast. I chased him for 3 blocks until he cut across some really nasty gravel that slowed me down(barefoot).

He dropped everything in the driveway. I guess his a$$ was more important to him. Wish i'd gotten a clear look at his face. This isn't that big of a town.

[BostonSully]

Already had it happen once & caught the guy in the act. I came out of my backyard with my louisville slugger cocked & i was looking for blood. He ran really fast. I chased him for 3 blocks until he cut across some really nasty gravel that slowed me down(barefoot).

That is awesome, GJ. I would've done that as well. Except I swing a homemade Billy-Club(pretty scary freaking thing). Where I sleep there is a window right above my head and the driveway is literally right there. This was the first night I slept with my window shut in like 5months go figure, or else , I woulda been out there like you chasing the punks down.

[Fatphil]

just a tip for the wives and GF's..my wife got her purse stolen in a Starbuck's lot. The cop said they look for women going into a store without their purses and DUH they know it's in the car. The guy popped out the door lock, set off the alarm and he was gone by the time my wife ran out.

Tell them to always take their purse with them....they ARE being watched.