Posts

Convict heads back to Jail for Burglary

/in /by

Criminals do what they do because that’s their nature. Once bad, there’s hardly a chance they can be good.

1GJeffrey L. Patton, 43, said, “I’ve been scared to death of this day right here,” in reference to being put on trial for two unrelated crimes. So Patton pleaded guilty to the two crimes he was charged with and got four years in prison.

The two crimes: Patton had burglarized a woman’s residence outside the town of Willard on March 11, 2013 while she was asleep. He was also convicted of tampering in an unrelated crime.

As for the burglary, Patton and his accomplice had been rummaging through a drawer of jewelry when the woman awakened. They fled after she yelled at them.

At first, Patton denied involvement in either crime and even said, “I never burglarized a home in my life.” Patton’s lawyer, David Longo, believes that his client was not the primary offender. Longo says that Patton insisted that the burglary wasn’t even his idea.

The way Patton and his accomplice were pursued by authorities sounds like a scene from a cops-and-robbers movie. They fled into a hotel. Authorities surrounded most of the building, including 17 sheriff’s deputies. But the burglars escaped through an emergency exit. Eventually the pair was caught.

As for the tampering situation, evidenced showed that Patton had hidden a syringe in the back seat of his sister’s car where he was a passenger. His DNA was present on the drug paraphernalia, but the defendant was angered at the prosecutor’s accusation. “I don’t tamper with evidence,” insisted Patton.

Can you imagine waking to two men in your bedroom? That could have been much worse.

Protect yourself:

  • Get a home security system. A home security system sends off a piercing alarm and a monitored system alerts the police to intruders.
  • Lock and fortify your doors and windows.
  • Consider a protection dog as another layer of security.

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

Burglary leads to Murder

/in /by

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

/in , /by

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

/in /by

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.

Are You being followed on Foot or by Car? What to do

/in /by

One of the things I impress upon people is what never to do, and what TO do, if they suspect they’re being followed on foot or by car.

1SDDon’t be oblivious to your surroundings. Observe everything 50-100 feet around the perimeter of your body as you move from point A to point B.

Note anything that seems out of place, like a car that’s taking all the same turns you are. A pedestrian following you may veer off at a side street, then re-emerge to catch up with you.

Slow down. If you’re walking, stop and fiddle with a shoelace (while being aware). Who also slows down or suddenly stops? Speeding up might cause an amateur to also speed up, but a pro will not make this conspicuous change unless you’re about to make a blind turn.

Call the police. Let the police handle the situation. If you get off a main road, head to the nearest police station. If no-one is around, go to a people-filled public spot. Have a seat, have a soda, and observe your follower for any details.

Stay cool. Don’t speed or drive carelessly. If you’re being followed by a chain of pros, they’ll be all along your route, so speeding won’t help. If you suspect the follower is a road rager, stay on main roads, drive to a police station.

Confuse the follower. E.g., exit, then get back on the road you got off. If someone behind you duplicates this behavior, you know something’s not right. Or, make multiple turns in the same direction and see if your follower does the same.

Alter routes. Take different ways to drive home from work.

If you suspect you’re being followed, follow the above guidelines and make getting to a safe spot a priority.

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

/in /by

In a previous post, Schlage and I revealed the 10 things burglars don’t want you to know, and guess what, there are10 more!
5H

  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

/in /by

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.

10 Things Burglars Don’t Want you to Know

/in /by

Burglars would rather keep their dirty little secrets to themselves. But today, Schlage, makers of the grade one Touchscreen Deadbolt, and I are revealing what they don’t want you to know.
3B

  1. Burglars have jobs too. Your burglar was already in your house. He was there recently to repair the furnace, deliver the new flat screen TV or pick up old furniture you wanted to donate.
  2. Attractive ornaments or pricey “kids’ things” outside your home can indicate to a potential intruder that your house is full of valuables.
  3. Don’t let a service person use your bathroom. This may seem rude, but burglars have been known to visit the john so they could unlock or disable its window for future entrance into your house.
  4. Make sure your house alarm’s control panel is not visible through glass to someone loitering outside.
  5. Always have your newspaper and mail delivery put on hold when you’re away. And if you notice a flyer on your doorknob, immediately remove it so that the burglar who put it there doesn’t think you’re on vacation.
  6. Would you ever exit your house wearing only socks because you forgot to put your shoes on? Absolutely never! So make it a point to also never forget to lock your door after leaving.
  7. If someone is at your door, and you’re not expecting anyone, it’s not a crime to ignore them. That person on the other side may be a burglar casing your house (“Do you know where Clover Street is?”) and your demeanor to see if you’re easy prey.
  8. Hot spots for a burglar’s entrance include the window above the kitchen sink and the upper level windows. Have these spots set with alarms, and install motion detectors upstairs.
  9. Even a half-witted burglar knows to check medicine bottles for those diamond earrings, and scour through the sock and underwear drawer for more valuables. But he just might not bother going into the children’s bedrooms.
  10. Even though the sun’s beginning to set, you insist on keeping your blinds up or curtains open to milk what little daylight is left to lighten up the room. Meanwhile, a savvy burglar is strolling about the neighborhood, catching glimpses through windows that he can see through because it’s dusk (let alone night time). This way he can pick easy looking targets or ones with visible valuables.

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.

Standard door frames make burglary easy

/in /by

Stop what you are doing. Walk over to your front or back door. Open it. Look down at the doorjamb where the holes are—you know, where your doorknob and deadbolt locks (hopefully they are Schlage) go into the frame. Those 3/4-inch-ish holes are surrounded by what’s called a strike plate. The strike plate has two screws in it, and if you were to remove them they’d probably be smaller than 3/4-inch ones.

DoorFramesNow look back at the jamb. See the wood surrounding it? Look at the molding on the open side of the door. It’s also about 3/4 inch or so thick, right?

OK, now you see that a 3/4-inch hunk of thin pine and molding is all that separates a burglar from entering your home. Bad guys know that probably 95 percent of all front or back doors have this flimsy jamb with a strike plate separating them from entering your home.

And see this picture? This is my buddy’s shop last week. This is a steel solid-core door that has that flimsy jamb with a strike plate, BUT the jamb has 2.5-inch screws and an additional 1/4-inch steel plate behind it.

The damage is from burglars. This door was rammed with a 40 lb. oxygen cylinder over and over again…until the crooks gave up.

Most residential doors won’t take this kind of a beating. However, when installing a lock or retrofitting a lock to be more secure, it is advisable, at a minimum, to install 2.5-inch screws as replacements for the 3/4-inch screws that go into the strike plate (such as the screws that come packaged with the Schlage touchscreen deadbolt), and consider door reinforcement plates that beef up your door’s jamb or are mounted on the floor. Both are solid options, and I’d recommend both as multiple layers of security in addition to strong locks. In a future post, I’ll dissect door reinforcement technologies.

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

Preacher Charged with Burglary

/in /by

Can you believe it? A man of the cloth was up to no good. What has the world come to?

A pastor from Tennessee was caught on a security camera trying to break into the home of one of his parishioners. It’s not the prison-heading pastor’s first pass with the po-po; it seems he’s got a nasty drug habit that’s seemingly hard to break, and he’s been busted before.

USA Today reports: “[The suspect] was already on probation after pleading guilty in 2011 to aggravated burglary in Rutherford County, avoiding a four-year prison sentence by begging a judge for mercy, forgiveness and a chance to treat his addiction.”

His victim was a 70-year-old spitfire named Jewel, who was quoted saying, “I opened the back door and there he stood in the kitchen. I grabbed him by his shirt and I said, ‘I got you now, you ain’t goin’ nowhere,’” she said. “He kept saying, ‘Jewel, let me go.’ I said, ‘No! You stole my medicine.’”

Drugs, man. Drugs. Drugs make people do stupid, desperate things. Lucky for Jewel, the pill-popping pastor wasn’t violent, but he apparently still has his own demons to exorcise, and it seems he needs to cast aside his evil ways and practice what he preaches.

Jewel and her fellow churchgoers need to understand they can only pray for protection so much, but then they need to take action too. Much of society sits back and keeps their fingers crossed, hoping such a thing won’t happen to them. And when it does, even after their pastor was busted years earlier and they invite him back, they wonder how and why this could’ve happened—because that’s his “normal.”

Bad, as we know it, works in mysterious ways.

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