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Home Invaders Caught on Resident’s Surveillance Video

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Video rules! I have 15 cameras in and around my house designed to keep me informed of who, what, when and where, 24/7/365. I see my cams on my iPhone, iPad, laptop and PC. My cams work both day and night and record video anytime they sense motion.

surveillance

There are cameras everywhere today. Most businesses have cameras on the exterior of their buildings monitoring their perimeter and cameras inside to keep employees and customers in check. And just about every home security system today comes with the option to also install cameras, too.

All which goes to say that you never know who has video surveillance, right? And which also brings me to how two idiots were caught after robbing and invading two different homes.

NBC Connecticut reports two women, ages 71 and 58, were returning home with groceries when a man with a gun and another man confronted the two women, forced them inside and tied them up. The assailants fled in one victim’s car.

Then, the next day, a 38-year-old man and 32-year-old woman were inside their home when two masked men with handguns confronted them, tied them up and ransacked the residence for valuables. The invaders also stole their car.

Police must have gone door to door asking residents who had security cameras to provide footage, because they were able to recover surveillance footage of the vehicle taken during one of home invasions, as well as footage of a suspect.

Home invasions happen because people are unaware of their environment or are “too comfortable” in their surroundings and completely drop their guard. Don’t become a victim.

#1 Be aware of what’s going on around you—that’s 50–100 feet around the perimeter of your body—at all times. If something seems wrong, it is wrong.

#2 Lock your doors. I’m home, kids are inside, doors are locked, dog is watching guard.

#3 Get, install and use a home security system. My alarm is almost always on. Having an alarm on all the time, while you are home or away, is a great layer of protection.

#4 Install cameras with your alarm system. They are the best way to deter or catch bad guys.

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

Security Cameras Catch Intruder

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Video is a great thief repellant. It is one layer of security that must be incorporated into every home security system. However there is no such thing as 100% security. And while video often catches a thief in the act, it can’t actually catch a thief. That’s what police are for.

In Des Moines Iowa, which I’ve been to a few times and is a very cool place, lots of Bald Eagles, a bar owner was awoken to a phone call from ADT Security calling to tell him the alarm in his bar was going off. At the same time the police were summoned.

Meanwhile the bar owner logged into his security systems internet enabled cameras and saw the legs of a man dangling from the ceiling through ceiling tiles! The criminal apparently cut a hole in the roof! Then he saw the man jump to the floor with a crowbar and immediately head towards his target: a ticket machine full of cash.

Obviously the thief knew what he was after. After about 3 minutes he ran out when the police arrived and narrowly escaped.

Now the police have video footage of the thief to use to hopefully catch him.

Security is about layers of protection. The protection in this case at least minimized the damage by sending off a piercing alarm reducing the damage the criminal would do if he stayed longer and then the cameras will help identify the thief. Fortunately the bar owner has insurance (which is another layer of protection) that will ultimately pay for the loss and damage.

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

3 Incredible Reasons Why Security Cameras Rock

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Reason 1: In Pittsfield Massachusetts a minor league baseball team was reeling after continual theft from the team’s locker room. And to help solve the problem they I installed a single video surveillance camera.

The 42 year old thief was recently caught on camera and arrested for stealing cash from the lockers of the team during a ball game. He of course pleaded not guilty. The video states otherwise. Video doesn’t lie. In this scenario the team players should have locked the locker room up or at least locked their lockers.

Reason 2: A guy named Eddie was labeled a geek by his home invaders who believed he wouldn’t put up a fight. The where right, he is a geek and didn’t put up a fight. Geeks, in general, are smart though, so he installed a security camera. The thieves broke into his home and stole money and vowing to not let that happen again he went out and bought a surveillance camera.

The next day young teens came to his unlocked home and held him at knife and gun point and robbed him, all caught on tape. All 4 teens were caught and now face prosecution.

Eddie should lock his doors and get a home security system.

Reason 3: This story doesn’t have a happy ending, but hopefully it will. In Oakland California a woman was robbed but then sexually assaulted. Amazingly she caught the whole burglary part on tape on her mobile phone.

The video is clear and crisp and will hopefully bring this man to justice.

In the future I’d recommend NOT busting out your mobile video but instead using that same phone to call 911 as you run out of the home to safety. There are many things wrong with this situation but manly that the victim didn’t need to be a victim.

I’m a big fan of video, but a bigger fan of RUNNING.

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

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.

12-Year-Old Girl Home When Man Tries To Break In

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Is it OK if I call this criminal a boob? Because he’s a dopey boob who used a pink Huffy as a getaway vehicle. And his victim, well, she’s a ROCK STAR! Read on... A 20 year old burglar breaks into a home. Twelve year old girl is home alone. I don’t know why, I think that’s illegal in some states. But she’s home alone and at least the alarm is on. Which turns out to be a very good thing.

Using a brick, burglar breaks the glass on the front door and reaches through to unlock the door. Girl sees a green latex glove coming through the window. Smart little rock star that she is; she hits the panic button on the home’s alarm system, and the thief ran off.

“When police arrived, they found two witnesses – one who saw a man enter the back yard of the residence, and one who saw him leave. Both provided the same description. About a block away, police saw a man matching the description riding a pink Huffy youth bicycle, and they stopped him.

According to police, the boob had several different stories about where he was going and where he had been. Police patted him down and found a screwdriver and green latex gloves, which matched with what the girl saw when the suspect’s hand came through the front door.”

First, never leave a 12 year old home alone. Maybe a 12 year old is perfectly capable, but still, that doesn’t work for me. If it’s legal in your state to have a 12 year old home alone, then at least discuss home security tips, which in this case it seems they did. She did well by hitting that panic alarm.

At least install home security cameras as another layer of protection with signage outside. Do you think this house had a sign outside that denoted the house was alarmed? If it did I bet the guy would not have broken in.

The door on this house facilitated the break in. Windows on doors aren’t secure. I prefer solid core doors. If you are going to have a window on a door, it should be very small and be at the very top of the door so the burglar can’t break it and reach in to unlock the door.

Finally, I love the fact that the neighbors saw him. This must be a neighborhood with a successful neighborhood watch program.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

Unknown Knocker Annoys N.C. Neighbors

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In North Carolina some whack job is knocking on doors of women and running. Oddly, all have one thing in common, they are widows. The knocker hasn’t hurt anyone but he is certainly harassing them.

As kids we did similar things to annoy. Kids will be kids, but today is much different. Behavior such as this could have serious repercussions if somebody catches whoever is doing it in the act and then “teaches them a lesson.”

“Police in Rutherford County, North Carolina reported five women were being harassed by an unknown prowler called “The Knocker. The five women, all widows living in Rutherford County, said the knocks are sporadic and come at any given time of day or night, according to reports. They hear the knocks on their doors, walls, windows, sometimes for weeks at a time. No one has been arrested and local authorities are hesitant about the claims. A son of one of the women defended their claims, saying five women do not just make up stories together, reports stated. Police continue investigating the mysterious knocker.”

Whether knocks occur or not, there is enough technology available to determine and prevent it from continuing to happen. Further, a neighborhood watch program would help thwart any mischief.  If it’s true, what is concerning is the “knocks” have been going on for weeks and nobody has caught the guy.

Home security tip number one, don’t provide an opportunity for a prankster or a bad guy to do this to you or someone you love. Install home security cameras to monitor the perimeter and deter the stupid knocker. If this was my mom being harassed knock-boy would already have been caught.

Now if this is more than just kids playing games, and is an adult who is obviously a bit screwy, he could also be peeping in windows, jiggling door knobs and thinking about his next move. A home security alarm is essential to alert the homeowner, neighbors, and law enforcement to a potential intruder.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

America’s Most Wanted Teen

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Colton Harris Moore stole a bicycle at the age of 8 and never looked back. Now 6 ft. 5 in. and 18 years old, Harris Moore is suspected in over 100 burglaries in the Pacific Northwest. Recently he has been credited with stealing cars, speedboats and now airplanes (at least 3). He is known as the “Barefoot Burglar” because he kicked off his shoes running from the police through the woods.

This 18 year old has never taken a flying lesson and has achieved celebrity like status with over 20,000 Facebook fans. However, Harris-Moore isn’t one to be celebrated. He steals as much from the average hard worker as he does from the dot–com rich.

He breaks into homes to get what he needs to survive in the woods and it is believed he enjoys the high living in the unoccupied rich vacation homes. He’s been known to make himself a bowl of ice cream and take a hot bath.

Generally, he will break in and copy down credit card numbers out of wallets, opposed to stealing the whole card, to avoid detection. He was accused of using a homeowners PC to buy a $6500.00 pair of night vision glasses and bear Mace. He’s also charged thousands of dollars in police scanners, video games and GPS devices.

He’s also accused of stealing an assault rifle out of a cop car. Which means he’s potentially armed and dangerous.

1. Install outdoor lighting on timers and motion sensors.

2. Make sure your home has a “lived in” look.

3. Use indoor timers for lights, TVs and automatic shades.

4. Install security cameras that can be remotely monitored.

5. Install a home alarm system monitored by an alarm company and the police.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover.