Robbery today in Santo Domingo
 

We were severely robbed today between 2 and 4 pm, back sliding window accessed and all jewelry lost. Only clues was a grey SUV in the neighborhood, we live on Salido. and an ATV traveling the wooded right of way in back of house.

Nobody is safe
 

So sorry you had to experience this. :sad:

This is very unfortunate and sad news - guess nothing is sacred anymore. Too many people looking for an easy way to live at the expense of others. Can't imagine where that thinking comes from.

So sorry to hear of your experience. Sliding Glass doors are the easiest point of entry into a home. I have installed alarms and have motion cameras that take pictures automatically and send me an email picture. I strongly suggest that others do the same. Most intruders will scamper away once an alarm goes off.

How did they access the slider? Break the glass...not likely as it is tempered.
Lift out of the tracks?
Left open or was open already?
Were you at home or not?
Any other pertinent info that could be of value to us all?

I'm so sorry this happened. I appreciate you letting us all know. I do hope those who have violated your home, safety and security are soon apprehended and your possessions are recovered.

I am sorry about the loss of your possessions. A couple of golf carts taken, golf cart batteries stolen, break -ins......What is going on in TV?

Is all hope lost for sleeping with the windows open?? I love the fresh air. Anyone found a solution for that?

Billyg, a Sumter county sheriff reserve police officer came to our house to go over it for security and make suggestions. He showed us something called an
F clamp available at Home Depot. For any window you want to leave open, you install two. They make the window very difficult to pry, and you can open them and lock them with the F clamps. Obviously you can open them more tan about half a foot or someone could reach in and disable the clamps. But there is something you can do.

I agree with this. In my 35 years experience as a probation officer I can tell you that "criminals" brag and my guess is that The Villages now has a reputation for being an easy mark. All you need are some drug addicts who are so desperate that they will commit the kind of crimes that we have seen in the last few months. Each one of us has to do our part in our home to make it as difficult as possible for a burglary to occur. For the most part a criminal will take the path of least resistance - meaning if you have an alarm system or jimmy plates on your sliding doors, they will move on to the next house. There have been some very good suggestions on this forum for improving security. We all need to be proactive rather than reactive.

First, I want to tell you how sorry I am for you. I can only imagine how violated you feel and how insecure.


Second, I appreciate all of the good suggestions from all of you and the further support of the victims.


And third. I hate the lowlife scum who come into this area and take what we have worked and saved and planned for. Taking from us the fourth quarter of the game of life with a light heart that is the most treasured possession of most of us.


I hope that you are caught and put away.


But I think that those that say that we are being targeted are right. Let's NOT let them win. Do all of the things you can to protect your home and keep an eye open.


I went up to a guy parked in our mail drop the other day and asked him if I could help him. I told him I had his license number. And he got out with papers and a lanyard around his neck. He was a building inspector. I still don't know what he was doing at our mail drop. Our village is now built out.


Keep a paper and pencil handy and binoculars if you have them and write down the license number of anybody who is not someone you know in your area.


I am furious that these lazy BUMS can take what we worked for.

Correct,

We were at the store called Entry Point up in the shopping center near Spanish Springs (where Publix and the furniture store are) with a friend who was looking for a decorative item.

I saw this item Tri-bolt Security Lock in there, which is a bolt-type device installed at the top and/or bottom inside of your front door. It secures the door against being kicked in. A local man invented the device. Entry Point will take your name and number, and the man will call you and come out with his son to install them for $100 apiece. Or you can buy them online and install yourself. They come in many different colors to match your door handle. (Fewer colors available online.)

We had one put in at the top and the bottom of the door, although he thought one would suffice. (He said they would have to be a karate expert and be able to kick very high and hard for the top one.) The one on the bottom goes into the threshold, which I thought would make the door even harder to kick in.

He also installed anti-jimmy locks on our sliders for $65 apiece. We bought the F clamps for the windows at Home Depot in the section that has door locks. Ace Hardware has them also.

Oh, and the man and his son are very clean-cut, well-spoken gentlemen.

:clap2: Thank you for sharing. Please pm me the name of the gentleman.
Kicking in the front door is a weak point and needs to be addressed. Many of our front doors are deeply recessed and with shrubs it can be hard to see what's going on.

Gracie please be careful approaching people, best to keep an eye on them or call community watch. I know you
carry (a water gun) but sometime more is required.:-)