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Butler Charged With Home Invasion

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Every time I ask my butler to take out the trash or get me some Grey Poupon mustard he gives me lip. I’ve relegated him to cleaning my Bentley every day with a tooth brush.

When people think about protecting themselves from the bad guy, they mostly think about a stranger, someone not known to them who have evil intentions. However, all too often it is someone known to the victim.

The term “inside job” is of course when those known to the victim or institution are responsible for the crime.

Insiders are put in a position of trust. They have details at their disposal that enables them to pull off a heist with ease and those details may have them believe their chances of getting caught lessen.

Inside jobs are often played out in movies with an air of truth where a gangster works as a security guard or a bank teller feigns a robbery done by her boyfriend. When I was in high school, two kids I knew worked at a local gas station and had the bright idea to pocket the days proceeds and call the police to report as robbery.

They got away with it, for a day. Their boss was a hulking and imposing man and when he drilled them on what happened he noticed one of them cracking, then he pounded harder until they both broke.

AZCentral.com reports “A former butler of a billionaire socialite has been charged in connection with the 2007 home invasion at her estate, where authorities say the assailants injected her with what they claimed was poison in a failed plot to extort $8.5 million.

Three men dressed all in black, wearing hoods and carrying guns and what appeared to be accordion cases or small suitcases, snuck into the home. The victims were blindfolded and tied up in her bedroom while the assailants roamed the house looking for safes. Investigators believed that the men were familiar with the house because they knew its layout and apparently were aware that its elaborate alarm system either wasn’t working or wasn’t turned on that night.”

While the enemy here is the butler, the catalyst that fueled the crime was “trust”. Trust is an inherent trait we require to function. Without it we would cease to move forward.

And while you need to trust, you shouldn’t let your guard down. Contractors, baby sitters, house cleaners, family members, anyone knocking on your door, those in uniforms or holding badges and especially butlers! can all abuse trust.

Home security cameras, home security alarms and other layers of protection help keep those you trust honest.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston.



Bold Signage Offers Intimidating Layer of Protection

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GUNS GUNS GUNS. People love their GUNS.

Guns are deadly. And as far as the constitution insinuates, that’s the whole point.

Frankly, I like the feel of a gun’s craftsmanship and the occasional target or clay pigeon shooting. The idea of guns makes sense to me for purposes of protection, although, I’m always concerned with guns in the wrong hands, which, unfortunately is a lot of unstable people.

A gun of course is a layer of protection and has been proven to protect civilians, military, police officers, and others in high risk professions every day.

What scares me is people who hide behind their guns in a way that their sweaty grip on them clouds common sense. And of course there is a much higher chance that a gun owner or their family can be killed by their own firearm in their own home too.

Texans love their guns, and again, there’s nothing wrong with that so please don’t send me hate comments.

Fox news reports “a 71-year-old Texas woman has a message for the person who broke into her home last week, “Try to break into this house again, your head will be blown off!” Its message is written in bold, capital letters and is accompanied by a picture of a handgun”, on her front lawn. You go girl.

The woman’s son had the sign made in response to a home invasion.

The intruder kicked her door in and her dogs started barking and hissing which may have given the intruder paws (I mean pause) and he fled.

The sign now warns that the burglar, and the millions of others who may pass through Lufkin Texas, that a little old lady and her Chihuahua are packing heat.

She at least needs a home security system, and probably a bigger watchdog, and a better door.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston.

Gritty Grandma Foils Home Invasion

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In Colorado Springs the Gazzette.com reports an eighty-three-year-old grandmother has a simple message for the bad guys: “Nobody better mess with me.”

“A man used a crow bar or similar tool to pry at the back door of her central Colorado Springs home. Throwing her 112 pound frame against the door, she wasn’t having it. The intruder — who wore a hooded sweatshirt — took off running after she blocked the way and cried out that she was calling the police.”

The scenario went like this: She was on the phone calling in a prescription. She sees a guy in a hooded sweatshirt coming down her front walkway.  He puts the hood on then rings the doorbell. She doesn’t answer. Grandma states in the article “I never come to the door.” Then moments later after ringing the doorbell and knocking loudly, he went around to her back door and began prying at the back door with a crowbar.

“She shouted for the man to leave, and he began pounding at the door. Then she placed herself against the door and continued shouting that she was going to call police. Then the door began to open, leaving a three-inch gap of daylight between the door and the frame.”

Then for whatever reason, he took off running. For whatever reason the home invader got spooked.

This is a happy ending. But it could have just as easily, and it’s more likely to have ended tragically as it does in similar situations every day. He probably didn’t intend on “invading” the home, because he didn’t think she was home. But more likely he was going to burgle it with her gone.

What to do?

Signage outside, front and back saying the home is alarmed is a deterrent.

Big dog bowls saying “Killer” on the front and back porch is a deterrent.

When at home and seeing someone trying to break in, hit the panic button on your alarm. For my system it’s the “A” and “1” button simultaneously. That sends off a shrieking alarm and calls the police.

Have your alarm on 24/7. Meaning if someone pries open a door while you are home or away, the alarm goes off.

Install home security cameras around the perimeter. I have 8 cameras outside fully encompassing every door and window.

These are all layers of security. The more layers you install the less likely your home will be targeted.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News.

A Third Of Break-in Victims Suffer From Anxiety

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The impact of a burglary far surpasses the cost of replacing stolen items or damaged property, as research by ADT Security reveals break-ins cause anxiety in 34% of victims.

Honestly, this number seems low. I still have anxiety from a break-in from a home I owned 15 years ago, that was 4 houses ago! That feeling never really leaves you. It’s a constant reminder to be vigilant and activate that alarm.

The inaugural Secure Homes Report, which surveyed 2000 homeowners and renters, reveals that 40% of victims experienced reduced trust levels, 16% experienced sleeping problems and 8% were no longer able to be at home alone following break-in or burglary.

According to the research, the majority of those surveyed are aware of the need for home security, with 93% locking their doors.

But when those surveyed had been victims of a previous break-in they chose more advanced custom home security solutions. As many as 65% of break-in victims reported they upgraded their homes security after their homes were broken into.

I’ve seen even higher statistics than that. In an informal survey I’ve done, almost 9 out of 10 people I talked to installed a home security system after they were broken into.

Once a home is burgled, people lose their sense of security and try to gain it back with the installation of an alarm. A home alarm certainly provides security, but people who are victimized in this way often face years of emotional aftershocks.

The key to security is thinking proactively and doing things to secure yourself and family before something bad happens. Don’t think “it can’t happen to me”, think “yes, there is a chance this can happen and I’m going to set an example and proactively do something about it.”

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News.

Serial Killer Loose On Long Island

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“The serial killer who dumped his victim’s bodies in the thick brush along several miles of New York’s breathtaking beachfront may have dismembered several of them, law enforcement authorities have told ABC News.”

The chance of you ever coming face to face with a serial killer is extremely slim, unless of course you are a prostitute, then the odds change. Either way there is an extremely slim chance you’d ever get struck by lightning too. But I’ll bet you wouldn’t go climbing a metal flag pole in a lightning storm.

On Long Island, New York officials have found the remains of 9-10 bodies most believed to be women and so far one child.

Much speculation has come about regarding the killer’s profile. Some say his IQ may be as high as 120, he is probably white, mid 30’s, and integrated into the community. He could be a neighbor, boss and some say a cop or military.

The case points to how the killer is someone who looks like you and I and acts like you and me, but simply doesn’t think like you and I.

He may “suffer” from anti-social personality disorder. They lack empathy for others’ feelings. They aren’t concerned about the consequences of their actions and the potential harm it may do others. Many in prison are said to have this “ailment.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics “In 2008, over 7.3 million people were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole at year-end — 3.2% of all U.S. adult residents or 1 in every 31 adults.”  2,304,115 were incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails.

There is an old saying born of motorcycle gangs called “one percenters”.  The theory is 1% of all people come out of their momma just bad. According to these stats, it may actually be 3.2 percent.

Unfortunately, while most people are civilized, few aren’t. The uncivilized don’t have the same boundaries as us and sometimes kill for their own pleasure.

Lock up, install a home security system, take a self defense course, and keep your head up.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing self defense and rape prevention on NBC Boston

Couple Poses As City Inspectors To Rob Homes

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NECN reports “a husband and wife from North Carolina are in court in Massachusetts charged with scamming their way into homes. Police say the couple stole from a house by posing as electrical inspectors. The 75-year-old homeowner says he and his wife were distracted by a woman while man ransacked their home. It turned out they were able to frighten their intruders away and nothing was stolen but investigators believe lots of other people were robbed by the couple in many other states.

“This is how they make their living.  This is what they do,” said the Deputy Chief. When they were picked up by police, they allegedly had more than $60,000 in cash and stolen goods with them as well as two children ages 8 and 10.”

What a mess.

This is a common trick a burglar may use to invade your home.  I did this on the Montel Williams Show to prove a point. It was real simple. I ring the door bell standing in the doorway with a clip board, measuring tape and wearing a tool belt, a green jumpsuit and have a badge saying I’m from the local water company. The homeowner, a woman says “Hello, how can I help you?” and I inform the homeowner that I’m with the water company and need to come inside to check the “colorization” and PH of their water.

Every door I knocked on the person let me in. Some people were a little more resistant, but I still got in.

The previous message isn’t a “How to” it’s a “Look for this” so don’t go getting any bright ideas Kojack.

We are a kind, trusting and civil species. We trust by default. We want to help, we want to accommodate and we don’t ever want to think “bad” is on the other side of the door or “bad” will ever happens to us.

There’s lots of bad out there. And sometimes it has kids in the car waiting. What a mess.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

Facebook Used To Stop Home Invasion

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This is just the greatest story about social media used for doing good EVER. A University of Georgia student was in bed when masked men invaded his home and tied up his 17-year-old sister and his grandmother.

The student wakes up and probably heard yelling and realized what was happening; apparently he didn’t have his phone so he took his laptop and hid in the attic. He logged into Facebook and wrote as a status message “someone please call 911, no phone, hiding in my house, robbery,”

CNN reports “His best friend called police, and sheriff’s deputies arrived, the men scattered as soon as police arrived. But they arrested one of the suspects while two, possibly three, others got away.

They quoted him as saying “Facebook was like the only thing where I knew I could reach someone instantly that was on chat.”

I’ve always recommended having a phone by the bed. I have both a land line and my mobile ALWAYS accessible by the bed.

If the home invaders bypass all the solid core doors and other layers of protection I have in place and for whatever reason my home security alarm is disabled (which isn’t very possible because it’s battery backed and wireless), or the dog doesn’t attack them and they cut the phone lines or simply take a phone off the hook, then my mobile is right there.

Long story short, have a mobile by the bed, or at least a laptop so you can post a status update that you’ve just been invaded by masked thugs. Unbelievable!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

Home Invader Gets Life

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The trial and sentencing of a New Hampshire home invasion that goes back to 2009 where a gang of late teens and 20 somethings broke into a home while the mom and daughter were sleeping is over. The dad was away on business. In the course of events, the mom died of a machete wound and the daughter was severely injured.

CBS News reports “Judge Gillian Abramson imposed the mandatory sentence of life without parole, telling Gribble (the lead home invader/murderer), “infinity is not enough jail time.”

Gribble claimed the insanity defense and admitted he did it along with a guy named Spader and that they intended to kill anyone they found in the house.

“Most of Gribble’s knife blows targeted the girl. A lead investigator said that even as she lay on the bedroom floor bloodied and feigning death, she opened one eye and watched as Gribble plunged a knife into the throat of her mother, Kimberly Cates.”

The father said in a victim impact statement:  “I’ve lived the accounts of Kim’s murder one excruciating blow after another. Through these accounts I have heard my wife’s last breath, heard my daughter’s screams, seen my daughter’s perfect body mutilated. I don’t have any illusions this invasion of the sanctity of our home will ever be behind us. Jaime and I won’t live a day without thinking of the horrific things that happened in our home and that Kim will never again be with us.”

Here are 5 tips to help keep you safe and prevent a home invasion:

1. Never talk to strangers via an open or screen door. Always talk to them through a locked door.

2. NEVER let children open the door. Always require and adult to do it.

3. Install a home burglar alarm and keep it on 24/7/365. With a home alarm system on, when someone knocks on the door, a conscious decision has to be made to turn off the alarm. Most people will keep it on.

4. Not all home invaders knock, some break in without warning.  Just another reason to have that alarm on.

5. Install a 24-hour camera surveillance system. Cameras are a great deterrent.  Have them pointed to every door and access point.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

Remote Control Home Alarm Provides Additional Security

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Some painters were recommended to me by referral. By all accounts, they were hard workers and reputable.  Because of my normal home security obsessed nature, I’d generally do some type of background check on the owner and get something of a background check from him on his employees. However, because of the time crunch of the project, and the fact I was away while my interior was being painted, that wasn’t an option here.

Fortunately, I have the ADT Pulse™ home automation system that lets me check in on every aspect of my homes activity remotely.

After the floor sanders left the home, the painters came in right after. I was able to monitor and watch their progress via my internal security cameras and monitor my home security, as well. I have some funny video of painters face up against my cameras like curious creatures happening upon technology in a wilderness PBS documentary. Funny stuff!

Anyway, the remote home control system allows me to set up automatic recording of the cameras every time a motion sensor detects movement. The painters were given specific instruction of where to paint and where not to paint, which also meant where on the house they were allowed to be.

For example, the bedrooms were NOT to be painted, which meant there should be absolutely no triggering of the motion detector or cameras in that wing of the home. And, I can happily say at no point in time my cameras automatically record the standard 30 seconds of video when the motions are tripped in the bedroom wing.  I know this because I was able to access my system from thousands of miles away over the internet and see all movement and recorded incidents.

Further, in the office area, I have all kinds of technology that I wasn’t able to remove from the home and there are office cabinets that nobody should be snooping in. The painters had a job to do in that area and my cameras detected and recorded constant movement. In reviewing the footage, I concluded they in fact did their jobs and at no time snooped or violated my home security. I love that “I know”.

And finally after they left, the concern was they now knew the “lay of the land” and every aspect of my home security. So if anyone of the painters was a part time burglar, he was able to case my home from the inside, and would know how to easily break in. He could also unlock a window to help him out.

However, my home alarm has sensors on each window and upon remotely monitoring my system I determined one of the windows was in fact left propped open.  More than likely this was done by accident. So, I called a friend over to lock it and make sure all the other doors and windows were properly locked.

Once my friend left, I was able to remotely set the alarm via my iPhone to “away status” which meant all the sensors were armed including the motion detectors. Even if I couldn’t get a friend over to shut and lock all the windows, I could still set the alarm and it would “protest” the open window but still activate. And even if the “painter/burglar” came in through the unlocked window, the motion sensor would pick him up and go off. Nice. Thanks ADT Pulse™!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News.

Home Security Cameras Keep Contractors Honest

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I’m in Mexico, but by the time this is posted I’ll be manning the watch tower at my fort. While I want to detail every adventure and post it as a status update (this country is very interesting), I haven’t, and I’ll never post in social media, that’s just plain nuts.

So anyways, while I’m gone I’m having a considerable amount of work done to the castle such as floor sanding and painting. It’s all stuff that’s better off being done while I’m gone because it’s somewhat unhealthy (and very inconvenient) to live around.  Painting and the dust and polyurethane fumes generated from floor sanding is just too much for babies. Plus I’m a delicate flower.

I have no less than half dozen workers in and out of my home over the course of 2 weeks and lots can go wrong when the homeowner isn’t there to observe. Mistakes can be made and stuff can be stolen. I locked up most of what’s valuable, but things like desktop PCs are just too difficult to remove and relocate.

But no fear, thanks to my automated home system I’m able to monitor every detail of the process. My home security cameras can be accessed from my laptop and iPhone to monitor where the contractors are supposed to be and more importantly where they aren’t supposed to be in the home while I’m away.

The first contractor was the floor sander. And, did that process need my involvement from thousands of miles away?!  When they first got to the home they needed to access the fusebox to tap into it so the sander wouldn’t constantly pop a breaker. They never told me they needed to do that. Anyway, I directed them to the fusebox from afar and monitored the bosses’ activity through my home and from my mechanical room camera. It’s a good thing too because he ran his power cable out the window and when he was done he never shut the window. I knew this because my ADT Pulse™ home automation system alerted me that the window was open because of a sensor installed on it.  It rained and snowed that night and if I didn’t call him back to shut the window, it would have been a wet mess that would have caused interior damage.

Prior to leaving, I had shut off the heat because you don’t want the forced hot air furnace blowing dust around or sucking dust into a return air when sanding. But when he applied the polyurethane it was too cold inside and didn’t dry enough for him to complete the job over the two days allocated for the project. If he had to come back again on a third day he was going to charge me extra he said.

I was able to avert an extra charge and turn my home automated heat back on from Mexico via my iPhone and even raise the temperature to a toasty 75 to quickly dry the floor. Problem solved!

And then, there were the painters. Oh boy. That’s another story.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News.