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Car Burglars on the Run
Car burglars on the run - literally
Last night around 8:00 (7/31) I stepped out to deliver materials to my friend who recommended I didn't because 'there is a strange feeling in the neighborhood tonight. I insisted that everything would be fine.
Stepping out of my door, I saw a man in my car, snooping around. At first I was in shock but quickly took action and ran towards him. He saw me and ran. His body motions and actions led me to believe that he was under the influence of a stimulant, and more importantly that I had caught him off guard and scared him. I easily cornered him in the front yard across from the community garden.
I repeated 'drop the bag and I won't do anything to you' (along with some other unmentionable words). In fact he did drop the bag in the road and said 'take it. nothing in there is yours anyway'. The bag appeared to be empty. At this point I was contemplating restraining the individual and bringing him to the police station.
However, when the chase first ensued, I noticed a car follow us on the way to the garden. while confronting the theif, the car waited around the corner. Once the bag was thrown in the road the car turned down our street, three individuals with seats way down pull up.
Now I'm like a dear in headlights and my instincts tell me to stop everything. Fortunately all they did was drive by, pick up the bag and take off. The thief jumped over the fence and took off.
Nothing was stolen from my car. I guess the Allman brothers, Billy Joel, and Bonnie Raitt weren't his favorite artists.
I'm glad things happened the way they did. Nothing was lost and I sent a message - I am not scared of you and I will hunt you down. What they want us to do is run back inside, call the police and wait. They get the goods, never get caught.
Should I be afraid? Of course. I could have been shot, stabbed, or if I engaged in a physical struggle, could have contracted a life threatening disease. One never knows.
Our neighborhood is analogous to the fight on terror. Terrorists want us to run, hide, be fearful. They win. The answer is not to avoid the subway. The answer is not to avoid terrorist hot spots. The answer is to force them to change their behavior. I feel confident that the next thief will think twice about coming into my driveway. And now that it's happened to me once, I'll be more ready next time.
Unfortunately I have a poor description of the individuals. I wasn't thinking clearly and regret not thinking rationally. The thief was mid 30s, 160 lbs, 5'11" with poor teeth. He was obviously addicted to a stimulant.
The three individuals in the car were younger, late 20s and much larger. I think they had the drug addict do the dirty work while they followed and provided support.
WE NEED EVERYONE TO GET OUT OF THEIR HOUSES!!!! Use the park. Use the grill. Use the swings. Do not live in fear. I have heard too many times that the park is a bad place and should be avoided. If this is your attitude than expect to live under these conditions indefinitely. Talking about problems, complaining about problems accomplishes nothing. Get out there. Meet your neighbors even if they are drug addicts or gangsters. Avoiding the problem is not the answer. We need to embrace the people and we need to embrace the solution. Find out what makes them tick because like me, they are not going anywhere.
Hasta la pasta!
Kevin Kazlauskas
Posted at August 1, 2005 07:10 PM