You are confusing the story. We are not watching the women. We are watching the same young men we see in the squares on a regular basis. We often see them point to a woman and then one begins to follow her. Maybe they are looking for a hook up and this is their ritual. Maybe they ask for some spare coins, maybe this or that. Who knows? We watch because we feel
uncomfortable around them. There are opportunistic people in the squares.

I can agree with that. But, personally, I wish that the US would do what Australia did and ban all semi-automatic rifles - they allow only single shot and bolt action rifles.

An individual can NOT afford to put up security cameras and hire a staff to watch them 24/7. Yes, there is a company that advertises that. But, since The Villages has mostly older and vulnerable people (with money) then The Villages is a big enough organization to set up cameras on every block and even have drones overhead with cameras. The technology is there - the only thing needed is the need to do it, the will to do it, and the budget to do it.

You ever discuss with the police “all these young men you see in the squares on a regular basis”?.
Like the Sumter county Sheriff always said….If you see something -say something.
If you are so damned concerned, do something to end it…..

We have spoken to an officer about it. The officer was in the square after a womans's purse was snatched. He told us there is petty crime in the squares and cause to be alarmed. He told us to stay on guard and be alert.

It does not occur EVERY NIGHT while we are enjoying our nightly walks. When it does, we do not follow the men and investigate. If we feel a woman is being followed, we alert her. Never once was the woman angry with us or laughed. There is one particular guy who runs when we point him out. His running away tells us that he is up to something. This is the person we pointed out to the officer. We have not seen him in quite some time.

Looks like its a trip back to the big house for him for an extended stay.

Well........one evening, a while back, I saw something in Brownwood......

Two young women, dressed in rather revealing tops and booty shorts, were helping an older guy to the parking lot. One on each arm.

They all looked happy enough.

I know nothing untoward or unseemly ever happens in TV, so I just thought how nice it was of those two ladies to be helping that guy find his car.

Boomer

I hadn't thought of that but you are right.

Many years ago my husband and I lived in CT. I rented an apartment that was downstairs from the apartment he lived in. I was the only single woman living in the apartments in this house (old Victorian that had been renovated to apartments.)

The original landlord was a kind older man (I was in my 20's, he was in his 80's.) He passed away and left the rental property to his two daughters. They really didn't want anything to do with it and did minimum work on the place.

They hired someone to paint the outside of the place. He painted by himself. At that time I worked two jobs but was home and was vacuuming. He knocked at the door and asked if he could use my phone. I let him in and he made a quick phone call and then sat on the couch as though he was invited to do so. I was busy cleaning and told him to leave. He wouldn't. So I started vacuuming again and he left right away.

I told my husband what happened (remember we weren't married yet.) About a week or so later I looked out my back window and there was a police car parked in the back parking area. I called my husband and jokingly said there is a police car in the back, what did you do? He said he is here with me right now and wants to talk to you to. At first I thought he was joking.

I went upstairs to talk with the police officer. He asked all kinds of questions about this man and if he had hurt me. He seemed very concerned. This painter had a tattoo on both hands, one said love and one said hate.

It turns out he had raped and murdered several women, I don't know how many. I don't know if he was ever caught. He had been on America's Most Wanted but I didn't know it at that time he showed up at my door.

My heart goes out to the woman this happened to. She must have been so scared and probably doesn't feel safe in her home anymore.

Wow! The things these scum bags think of.

I see you are catching flak from some in this thread. I don't think you deserve that.

I think the way you are handling this is fine. Your wife is with you when you tell the woman who might be being followed. You are not chasing after the guy who appears to be following.

My guess is you are naturally observant, perhaps because of a military background, or maybe because you happen to be one of those people who does not miss much.

(I was stalked once. An observant man stopped it.)

There are those who do not want to think about anything possibly going wrong in a place with almost 150,000 people, or whatever that number is. Overall, TV is safe by comparision to most places, but still.........

Boomer

I am a big boy. I can take flak. What I can't take is watching someone possibly being targeted by others. It never fails to amaze me that some believe there is no crime or mischief in the Villages. There are many opportunistic individuals who come here looking to take advantage of the residents. My wife and I have met our fair share.

Perhaps we should subcontract our prison system to some company in Mexico.

His skin color (race) was the same.

Yes. Definitely keep a loaded gun in your house. Empty does no good when some one has already violated your home. Alternatively don’t keep a loaded gun in your house. That is also your Second Amendment right. I will not judge you for it either way. If I am able to, I will try to defend you and save you and your family’s lives.

Three strikes rule for a life sentence is arbitrary. All it was meant to do was prevent lenient sentences from stupid judges. We need better judges who met out reasonable sentences who can evaluate the criminal “behavior” of the person

Not to knit-pick with the good folks at "The Gazette", but as a former radio news director it seems to me a very important word was left out of this story..."alleged". Even with all the overwhelming evidence at hand (photos, eyewitness accounts, etc.) this guy is still innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

Why condemn the OP for reporting the situation as it was? Racism is not recognizing that there ARE people who are sympatico with others simply because of their mutual race. Failure to understand this does not make you a non-racist, just an non-realist.

Not sure what is arbitrary about counting to three.

I do believe too many things have been "felonized." Felonies should be reserved for something more serious than, for example, a teacher having the wrong book in a classroom.

In this case it seems reasonable to believe that more than a few of the 12 felony convictions were for serious offenses. If "3 strikes and you're out" seems too harsh, what about 5 or 8 or 11? Everyone deserves a second chance (or third or seventh or...) but, "the thirteenth time is the charm," sounds ridiculous.

People tend to feel confident about their SAFETY until something happens to THEM. Then it is a whole different world. For example, that representative in Maine changed his mind about assault weapons when there was a murder rampage in HIS district. I, personally, had over $1,000 worth of tools stolen several years ago as my house was broken into. Police investigated and came up with ZERO.
.......That was years ago and today crime has increased in The Villages. Believe me, you do NOT forget it when your home is burglarized. And it could have been worse if we were there at the time. People that have NEVER had a home break-in are a little too quick to dismiss the NEED for more POLICE by saying things like "nanny state", which makes no sense to me. More Police and equipment would not affect the law-abiding citizen, just the law-breaking ones that take advantage of The Villages being a "soft target".

How about a Chain Gang
 

Florida reintroduced Chain Gangs back in the 90s. Let that guy spend the next 20 years or so in the hot sun and mosquitos cleaning up roadways.

Decisions
 

Would have no problem with having whoever made the decision to let such scum back out on the street after more than a few felony convictions join them in such confinement. Actions normally - and should - have consequences.

And, how many felonies do you reckon he's *actually* committed per each one that resulted in a conviction?

Civilization is tricky business. Having such judges make these kinds of decisions makes it far trickier - and less likely to continue.

Your point backs up what I am saying. Too many things classified as a felony. Throw a toaster at a person and the toaster becomes a weapon. Could become a felony case and be one of the three that gives you a life sentence? Again good logical laws with logical recommended sentences an most importantly good logical judges. A judge is not suppose to be a rubber stamp.

That IS a pretty nasty story and I am glad that you survived. Today MORE women have MORE things to worry about - like date-rape blackout drugs. I talked to a lady who said that her daughter experienced twice being drugged by blackout drugs while at college.

Equity should be taught more in the nation's law schools if it still has not been emphasized.

In other words, play close attention to the facts in each case.

This man should get very hard time IMHO. Unless there is a lot more to it.

I would guess that the ratio is about 5 to 1. 5 crimes committed for every one caught.

Those drugs are terrible. You are right, there is a lot more to be aware of today than there ever was before.

Stats
 

Got me curious. Got to googling and stopped here. file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/2021%20Crime%20Statistics%20Summary.pdf

Page 16 suggests that 5:1 is in the ballpark, at least as far as the ratio of reported crimes to arrests for same, though it ranges a fair bit according to the "category" of felony.

Now, conviction rates vs. arrest rates differ - who knows by how much. . . But, 13 felony *convictions* would suggest at *least* 65 felonies committed.

Why is something like that out in our midst? Why did this woman - and the rest of us - need to face such an easily preventable risk from such a subhuman? That's uncivilized.

I didn't see anything about the Jury member competing ...did they run a 13.5 K or a full 26? ...did they win?