Burglary leads to Murder

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The routine was well-grounded: Helen Van Orden, 79, worked as a housekeeper from 8 a.m. till noon Monday through Friday at Emeritus at College Park in Manatee. Then she’d go straight home and walk her dog.

2BOne day, she was waiting for her son, Charles Van Orden, 61, to call at 9 pm as he did every night to check on her. She didn’t answer, so Charles went to her small apartment next day and found his mother’s dead body in the living room.

The suspect in the murder is Richard Wayne Matthews, Jr., 32. Charles believes his mother was killed for her credit cards, purse and car. The victim’s daughter, Mary Ann Layhew, believes a connection existed between Matthews and her mother, in that the suspect knew Layhew’s son.

Crushed by the tragedy, Charles took his mother’s dog to an animal shelter, being unable to care for her.

Matthews is no stranger to a life of crime; he has numerous felony convictions. He’s been charged in Helen’s murder, plus burglary with assault and battery, and auto theft. This sounds like a slam-dunk case, as Matthews was dumb enough to tell three people he murdered Helen.

Ronald Ellison, Matthews’ godfather, told the sheriff’s office that Matthews told him he had “killed a lady at the Burgundy Apartments [where Helen lived],” and that he had stolen her credit cards and car. The ditched car was eventually found.

Matthews is being held without bond in the Manatee County jail.

Charles wants to confront his mother’s killer in court and ask him why on earth he would ever commit such a heinous crime. Charles was quoted as saying that he wants Matthews “to get everything you deserve.”

Yes, let’s definitely hope that this ruthless killer gets the harshest punishment.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Stupid Criminal of the week stages fake Burglary

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Mondays are the pits for many people, because this day starts their work week. Dwayne Yeager was no exception; so badly did he want to avoid going in to the job on Monday, that he did something really dumb to get out of it.

3BThat’s because, according to deputies, his wife didn’t want him to miss work doing fabrication at a plant, which is actually what he did to avoid going into work: He fabricated a burglary of his house. Stupid.

Yeager, 31, called authorities a bit after 7 a.m. and said, “I need a sheriff in Brandon.” He told a dispatcher he’d been gone for a short while, then returned to see his door and windows open, TVs on the floor.

Deputies showed up to an apparently ransacked house, but saw no signs of forced entry. A neighbor reported that Yeager was gone from 6:30 to 7:15, went through the front door, opened the front bedroom window and lifted the blinds. Then he stepped outside and waited for deputies. The neighbor said there was no car on the property before Yeager returned.

Yeager admitted the lie to avoid going to work. He was arrested and charged with one count of giving false information to the police, then released later that day on $500 bail.

What a doofus. All he had to do was fabricate a stomach ache from the previous day’s “bad meat” or a migraine headache or something like that. But you didn’t hear it from me.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Children significantly affected by Burglary

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Here’s why you should never assume that burglary won’t have negative effects on your children.

2BVictim Support, an independent charity, and home security specialist ADT, have new research findings: Children who’ve experienced a home burglary are more likely to have problems at school and sleep difficulties.

Ten percent of the participating parents said their child’s school performance was negatively affected, and one-fourth of parents reported that their child had problems sleeping, post-burglary.

Bedwetting was a problem, according to 10 percent of the parents. One-third reported that their kids’ sense of personal safety was affected.

The investigation also turned up that the psychological impact of burglary can have a long lasting negative effect on children.

So what does this mean for adults, who, as children, experienced a home burglary?

One-third of the participants in the study, whose homes were burglarized when they were kids, believed that this experience was affecting them as adults. Thirty percent slept with the light on; 44 percent preferred to sleep with another person in the home.

Back to the effect that burglary has on children:

Forty percent of parents reported that their kids needed mental support after the crime.

There was a separate survey of 53 young victims of the crime, and the results indicate that the negative effects may be greater than parents realize.

About one-third of these young victims admitted they still have nightmares, and said that the burglary impaired their self-confidence.

Victim Support and ADT have launched The Take No More campaign. The purpose is to change the way people view and respond to burglary. The campaign calls for harsher sentences for criminals who target homes with children.

For the next three years, Victim Support and ADT will be working on this campaign, which will include free crime prevention schemes for members of a household. Also on the roster is increasing awareness of the support services that are available for victims of burglary, and the drive to get justice for victims.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Stepfather kills Daughter, thinks she is a burglar

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In the wee hours of the morning in Colorado Springs, a 14 year old girl was shot dead by her father as she climbed through a window because he mistook her for an intruder. She died at the hospital from gunshot wounds.

5HWhen the news broke of this story, it brought the gun advocates and gun opponents out of the woodwork. Guns spelled backwards is snug; some people get too snug with their guns, as was the case of the girl’s father, who was not arrested according to the report.

In the right hands, guns can be an enjoyable part of target shooting. The purpose of a gun should be that of protection, but at the same time, the person who wants to protect himself also needs to add some mental stability and smart thinking to the equation. The man who killed his daughter wasn’t what you’d call unstable (in a corrupt, immoral sense), but he certainly wasn’t thinking clearly, either.

Guns have been proven to protect the good guys from the bad guys, especially those in high risk professions. But what’s frightening is that some gun owners just aren’t savvy or informed enough to properly handle a gun in the face of threat or perceived threat.

Too many family members are being shot to death by another family member in their own homes—not because of an argument gone bad, but because of mistaken identity. Would that girl have been shot had the house been equipped with an alarm system?

It’s all about common sense. In the hands of a person with common sense (and a regard for life), guns usually are not a problem.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

10 More Things Burglars Don’t Want you to Know

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In a previous post, Schlage and I revealed the 10 things burglars don’t want you to know, and guess what, there are10 more!
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  1. If a burglar can hear your TV or sound system, chances are pretty good he’ll think someone’s home. Don’t rely only upon your state-of-the-art alarm system.
  2. An alternative to leaving a TV on while you’re on vacation is to use a device that generates a simulation of the flickering lights of a TV at timed intervals.
  3. Burglars don’t mind taking the entire safe with them if they’re too impatient to figure out how to crack it. Bolt it down.
  4. A barking dog really does deter break-ins. So do nosy neighbors.
  5. A one-time loud noise (like a window being broken) almost always doesn’t compel a neighbor to investigate. If it happens continuously or even just a second time, he usually will. However, a burglar is inside your house after just one window smash.
  6. Yes, a person casing your neighborhood for break-ins looks like the guy who would never do such a thing: clean-cut, maybe dressed in a workman’s uniform with a fake logo, carrying inspection equipment to make himself look legit.
  7. Never reveal your vacation or business tip plans on your Facebook page. Don’t assume nobody could figure out your address just because it’s not on your page.
  8. No errand is too short to leave the alarm system turned off. A burglar can invade your home and steal your valuables in a lot less time than it takes you to run the shortest errand. Products that you don’t have to arm, like the Schlage Touchscreen Deadbolt with a built-in alarm feature, can also help out when only stepping out for a short amount of time.
  9. Ignoring a knock or doorbell is a smart idea, but leaving the door unlocked—even when you’re home—isn’t. Many burglars will try the door if nobody responds. If it opens, they’ll enter.
  10. No matter how hot the day is, never leave a window open even a tiny bit when you’re away. Burglars can’t resist this.

Robert Siciliano home security expert to Schlage discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247.

3 Essential Post-Burglary Tasks

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What should you do if you come home to find it’s been ransacked? Don’t panic; be organized and strategic.

2BThere are three main actions you should take, in the following order:

  • Report and check
  • Clean up
  • Plan ahead

Report the crime and check the home

Your goal here is safety first and then catching the bad guys. The following tips will point you in these directions.

  • If you’re sure your house was robbed before you make entry, do not enter until the police come.
  • Call the police, then check to make sure all occupants are unharmed, starting with the most vulnerable, if the crime took place while you all were present.
  • If you come home to what appears to be a burglary/invasion, immediately call the police once you know you’ve been robbed.
  • Leave the home and seek a safe place like a neighbors or your running car.
  • Don’t linger outside; the burglar/s could still be inside.
  • Don’t assume that the intruders will get away with it because there’s no sign of them. Your stolen property may still be recovered.
  • Do not touch anything until the police arrive.
  • If you’re sure the burglar/s are gone and nobody is hurt, do an inventory of stolen belongings. Create two lists: one for the police and one for your insurance company.
  • Don’t wait longer than 24 hours to file a police report; prompt reporting is necessary for an insurance claim.

Clean up

Burglary and home invasions can have long lasting emotional and traumatic affects on a person. Your goal here is a fresh start so the impact of the robbery doesn’t take over your being. If your home or apartment develops a “black cloud”, then moving may be your only consolation.

  • After the police are finished, clean up. Promptly remove furnishings or appliances that are no longer functional, as these will otherwise serve as reminders of the violation.
  • Alter the rooms where the robbery occurred so that they’re not as much of a conditioned stimulus for fear or anger: repaint the walls, rearrange the furniture, get new curtains.

Plan ahead

Being proactive is the most effective way to avoid being chosen as a victim or to reduce the impact of a burglary.

  • Before being robbed, take photos of valuables; list their model and serial numbers.
  • Ask yourself what you can do to deter another invasion.
  • Assess your house and pretend you’re a burglar. Where are the weak points? Are there areas you’d be able to easily enter?
  • If you don’t have a home alarm system, get one. If you already do, find out why it didn’t stop the invasion. Consider upgrading it.
  • Change all locks.
  • Get shatter-proof window screens.
  • Enroll the entire family (save for preschoolers) in a self-defense program. Don’t assume a gun is your only or best defense.
  • Discuss with law enforcement, locksmiths, your insurance company and security professionals ways to improve your plan.
  • Live happily ever after.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Burglars busted bolstering Buffoonery

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Social media makes dumb criminals look (and act) even dumber. Take the case of Damian and Rolando Lozano of Texas, who were suspected of stealing items from 17 cars in the town of Rosenberg.

5HDamian was caught, but Rolando was still out there somewhere. The Rosenberg police posted Rolando’s photo on their Facebook page, hoping that visitors might recognize him and point to his possible whereabouts.

Whom but Rolando himself responded to his photo on the police’s Facebook page! He posted a brief note that included “catch me if u can muthasuckas.”

It took the police only 15 minutes (some speculate much less than that) to track the location of where Rolando’s snarky post originated from: a family member’s house. And that’s where he was arrested.

He, along with his brother, are suspects in a case known as the Seaborne Meadow’s Burglary of Motor Vehicles. The geniuses are now behind bars.

How did the police nab Rolando so quickly? Was it computer forensics? Well, according to a subsequent post by the police, tips from the community helped them track the thief to the relative’s house. Perhaps this was in part due to the friendly appearance and humorous photos of the Rosenberg police Facebook page.

Looks like this police department is onto something: Make a Facebook page that appears more community oriented rather than government-official oriented, and maybe the community will become more proactive in helping solve crime cases.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Home Invasion results in Child Casualties

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Two young girls died after a man broke into their second-story Cleveland apartment and set it afire. This was after the man forced the 55-year-old babysitter (the children’s’ aunt) into a bathroom, where she remained—until she began smelling smoke. Then she fled to outside and later reported that the man had started the fire.

1BIronically, in the week prior, the victims’ mother had been robbed at gunpoint. The man who broke in and the man who robbed the mother are still at large, and police aren’t sure if they’re not the same man.

Could this home invasion have been prevented? Possibly. Here are tips that will go a long way in preventing someone from breaking or forcing their way into your home:

  • Never speak to a stranger when all that separates you from that person is a screen door. Even worse is talking to a stranger when no screen is between the two of you. If possible, speak to them only through a locked door.
  • Instruct your children, or any kids in your house, never to respond to a doorbell ringing or knocking at any doors of the house. This includes even if you’re expecting someone, including pizza delivery. This also includes if you happen to be momentarily indisposed.
  • Get a burglar alarm system and keep it on, always. This means you’ll need to remember to turn it off when opening the door (or window). Kids in the house will also need to learn to turn it off or ask you to turn it off when they want to go out.
  • If you think that the previous suggestion is too difficult to manage, it’s important to realize that not all burglars (or rapists) knock or ring bells. Some will break in and you won’t know it till they’re inside your home pointing a gun at you.
  • A 24-hour camera surveillance system should be installed. The sight of a camera or the warning sign from the system’s company can be a strong deterrent to a break-in. Cameras should be aimed at all doors and entry points.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Burglars ‘jiggle’ doorknobs, then leave their mark

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Burglars aren’t dumb: They’re apparently enlisting the help of accomplices to seek out homes that are easy targets, then marking them with stickers.The stickers are small and inconspicuous, placed on front doors, being missed by the actual residents.

3BBut in case the resident notices the sticker, the burglars are thinking ahead: The stickers say “24 hour locksmith,” and have a phone number (fake), and thus masquerade as an advertisement for a fictitious business.It’s not known how many of these stickers have been linked to burglaries, but for sure, there’s something fishy here.

The theory by detectives is that the accomplice scouts for vulnerable homes, and this includes inspecting the locks on doors and windows. One of the methods the would-be burglars must be using to determine if a home is a good target is to simply jiggle a door knob and if it’s unlocked, then the property is immediately tagged with a sticker.

If questioned by a police officer, the scout simply says he or she is distributing locksmith marketing.

MailOnline reports “There is growing evidence that some organized teams of burglars may be using this method to target homes in south London,” says the council’s crime prevention spokesman, Cllr Jonathan Cook.

Cook’s advice is to immediately discard such a sticker if discovered, then report it to the police.“It also goes without saying that if people can beef up their home security by fitting sturdy locks to doors and windows and alarms, then this will always reduce the chances of them falling victim to thieves and burglars,” adds Cook.

Agreed. Certainly Schlage’s Touchscreen Deadbolt would be my recommendation.

The holiday time means longer evening darkness. “There have been a number of front doors found with stickers, giving details of a locksmith, which enquires reveal is not a genuine company,” says Inspector David Bannister from the Wandsworth police.

He says the stickers are placed by the main lock. “It is assessed that these markers are being used by potential burglars to mark potential targets which are then returned to subsequently.”

Robert Siciliano home security expert to Schlage discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247.

Is Methamphetamine a Problem in Your Community?

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You may already know that meth addicts and local crime go hand in hand. Meth is one of those drugs that allows its users to maintain relatively high-functioning abilities that often lead to criminal acts to get more meth.

1BMeth addicts like to steal identities and break into homes and businesses. It’s not uncommon for meth addicts to break into mailboxes and see if they can get personally identifiable information to open new accounts, take over existing accounts or cash checks they find in the mail. If they are successful in a particular neighborhood when breaking into mailboxes, they soon realize no one’s paying attention in that neighborhood and begin to break into houses. Meth addicts have little to no fear, as their addiction overpowers all sense of reason and blurs out any emotion, including empathy or sympathy. They can be prone to violence, especially if they are strung out and in need of a fix.

Minnesota’s Post-Bulletin reports, “An investigation into several area burglaries led investigators to a home where a search warrant revealed multiple firearms and a suspected meth lab. During the search, investigators recovered stolen property related to the area burglaries, as well as small amounts of suspected methamphetamine and several firearms, the report says. Components of a meth lab also were discovered on the property. Officers arrested a 52-year-old man for possession of a controlled substance; he also may face charges related to manufacturing meth.”

As crazy as it sounds, the first line of defense to protect one’s home, especially from meth addicts, is to install a locking mailbox. This way, they see from the street you are secure minded. From there, blanket your front yard with signage saying, “This house is alarmed” and “Guard dog on duty.”

Any layer of security you can provide to the already feeble senses of a meth addict will deter him or her in a way in which the would-be crook may target a neighbor (unfortunately) and not you.

As always invest in home security systems and use timers to give your home that lived-in look.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.