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Theft on 24th Street
A reader writes in with a heads-up:
Friday night, my husband C. was home alone. Around 11pm, an African-American teenager knocked on our door. C. looked out through the peephole, didn’t recognize the teen, and decided not to open the door. The teen walked back and forth on our porch, trying to look into our windows, but our curtains were drawn. He knocked again. When C. made a little noise, the teen RAN off of our porch and through the front gate.
Monday, C. was at work, and I was home. I left from about 9:30am-noon to pick blueberries in Chesterfield. While I was gone, someone stole 3 chairs off of our back porch, which faces Leigh in a pretty busy intersection. I spoke to my next door neighbor this morning, and she said a number of our neighbors have had things stolen off of their porches in recent weeks. Detective Layne told me the same thing when he completed my report.
I had kids (15-17?) try to break into my house a week or 2 ago, at 9:45AM on a Tuesday morning when I stepped out to go to the post office. They tripped the alarm before they could get anywhere, though, and were scared off.
Bastards. I really worry that this will happen to me. Sorry to hear that people have had their personal space violated. Hope they catch the idiots and toss them in jail with a large openly homosexual roommate.
We had two black rocking chairs stolen off our front porch last summer. This summer I have had my scooter cover, bike pump and a propane tank stolen. Unfortunately I have learned that if it isn’t locked up or tied down, it will walk off. Love this neighborhood.
Soooo….why is it the police were not called on Friday night??? Odds are, the teenager either needed help or was up to no good. Either way, you did your neighbors (and perhaps the teen) a disservice by your inaction. I am sorry to hear about your stolen property (sheesh, why would anyone steal chairs?). Hopefully, we will all be more viligant; there are thieves in our neighborhood.
*vigilant, even
@James-
Nice. Kids steal some porch chairs so they should be thrown in jail and raped? WTF?! Get your priorities straight.
@ Rachel-All jailed homosexuals are rapists? WTF?
Yes, rachel. My priorities are to make sure this never happens again. These kids will never learn on their own. Maybe some physical violation will teach them what it felt like when they violated the people they robbed. I am tired of people feeling sorry for kids like this. They want to live the thug life, they should go down hard like thugs.
BTW, there is a curfew in Richmond for all teens under the age of 18. I always call the police when I see a younger person out that late because, as kaykay, mentioned, I feel like it is for their own good.
Kayak, rape was clearly James’s insinuation.
James, sorry, you’re right. Being ‘violated’ by having crap stolen from your porch is just as bad as a child being raped. What was I thinking?
#6-Rachel, my apologies. James admission didn’t come until post #7.
@ James-
As a somewhat “large open(ly) homosexual”, I take offense to your generalization that all gay men are rapists and pedophiles. Whether you meant it or not it was definitely implied. There is quite a difference between being gay, being a pedophile, and being a rapist. If you have time to post such generalizations, I’m sure you have the time to Google and/or do a little more research to learn the difference.
Mel Gibson: (in response to his wife’s attire: “I hope you get raped by a pack of n******”
James: (in response to a petty theft by minors) “Hope they catch the idiots and toss them in jail with a large openly homosexual roommate.”
Same thing. Equally as offensive. The difference is that people like James believe blacks are off-limits and somehow gays are fair game? Furthermore, the fact that you wish serious, illegal, physical harm in the form of a sex crime, to a minor….speaks volumes about your emotional state. Seek help. Now.
So…hate to interrupt…but wanted to say that we have chained up all of the remaining stuff on our porches, and our neighbors are doing the same. It stinks, but we do all need to be cognizant of the fact that something that is easy to steal is likely to be stolen in the city right now. Lowe’s sells pretty good weight chain for $1.50-$2.00 a foot, which is way cheaper than what it would cost to replace all your furniture, scooters, etc.
FYI – More stolen goods. Why do they want chairs? 2 brown wooden rocking chairs with rope seating were stolen out of my fenced in back yard on 29th St.
An email out that went out tonight to the CHA membership:
I am so sorry for all of the victims these things have happend too. I haven’t had anything stolen yet…but my house is lit up like a prison at night w/ flood lights.
I leave all my porch lights on, and flood lights all around my house are always working. Plus I’m blessed enough to work from home, therefore..the people never know when I might come right back from leaving.
However, I do keep my eyes peeled for unsavory characters around my neighbor’s houses.
Some of my neighbors have laughed at me in the past for having the flood lights at night. However, I’d rather be able to see in my garden at any given time day or night.
My dogs sometime enjoy going out at night once it cools down, and I like to be able to see my gardens before opening the door.
In a segment on NBC12 last night RPD encouraged all victims of property crime to report it so they can concentrate their patrolling efforts in areas that have been plagued by thefts. I’m surprised some people don’t report property crime.
Last Thurs. bet. the hrs. of 11 p.m. and daylight someone came into our backyard and tried to take our furniture and a sundial, but left it. We asked our neighbors on either side to turn on their back lights at night (both have motion lights), but for some reason they won’t.
I know of someone in the neighorhood who had an attempted theft of their lawn furniture. Something must’ve scared the thieves away. I had a potted plant stolen from my porch.
I called Governor’s Antiques and asked them to be on the look out for my brown rocking chairs with rope seating. Perhaps we victims should all make a call. I also went to the police department and viewed mug shots. This was an interesting experience, which I think we all should do. Perhaps we can get the mug shot shown at a CHA meeting so we can be on the look out. Any other ideas where this stuff is ending up?
People up here will steal anything I think just to steal it. I’ve had a grill (a nice stainless steel one) stolen a couple years back (in broad daylight) along with lawn tools, a lawnmower, several potted plants, and then they stole my American flag right off my front porch. I finally bought a new grill and put bolts sunken in cement to secure the new grill. Of course, within less than 2 weeks, someone attempted to steal the new grill. Apparently they were pissed that it was secured so broke all 4 legs of the grill…really nice folks!
I know a guy who specializes in digging moats…
Moats! Why didn’t we think of that before??
Thanks for adding a little laugh to this frustrating problem. I do hope everyone is calling the police about thefts and creepy folks…it’s the only way this will get better.
@#22 (NewGuyontheHill), do you know someone who specialized in alligators too? I’m not joking; vigilance is necessary!
It’s really sad to have to live in danger or fear.
How frustrated you all must be to have all these things taken. I was thinking about having exterior cameras installed on my house. Anyone specialize in installing cameras on a house??
I would be interested in cameras also. Perhaps we can get it done at a discounted rate if there are several of us. In fact I was wondering if the police would put them up in certain areas like the alleys.
I live in Montrose and I had an attempted breaking last month. They kicked in the rear door only gaining access to the basement, but the alarm scared them off (nothing was taken). I would check with your alarm company for camera installation. The alarm company I use, AllSecure, installs cameras and I am seriously thinking about getting it done. This is their website. http://www.askwoodfin.com/ Look under the “security” tab. And this is the link for the camera systems they install http://www.avsipcctv.com/ Hope this helps.
Sorry, attempted break in not breaking. Although, they did break the door frame.
LOL @ Roy, RICdrew, and Rachel.
First of all, how do you know I am not gay? Second of all, lets not deny what happens in prison. If anyone thinks my post was insinuating all gays are rapists, well, I think you need a Jump To Conclusions mat.
I also don’t care if they are minors. Boohoo, think of the children!!! Guess what, they are old enough to know wrong from right. They are lucky they didn’t get shot during their robbery. After all, this is Church Hill. People get shot for much less.
If this was a one time thing for these young adults, then I am sorry for wishing them harm. However, given the history of this area, I am sure this is a way of life for the robbers.