Originally Posted by senior citizen (Post 786592)

I'm very glad you mentioned the old trucks cruising around, etc.
This is what I meant awhile back about the types we saw (non residents) just all over TV.....and that comment was met with disdain; thinking I had alluded to all blue collar workers. NOT. But we did see a lot of seedy looking type individuals / workers / whatever. This thread shows that robberies are indeed POSSIBLE.

Is it also happening in the "older neighborhoods" north of 466?
Or, mainly in the newer, less populated villages....more as a crime of opportunity?
Such as when all the appliances were being taken out of the new homes before residents moved in.

Originally Posted by mainlander (Post 786588)

If they simply kicked in the front door,, it sounds like they are experienced at this type of quick entry. (experienced). If they pried open the safe they must have brought the proper tool. (equipped). Sounds to me like they knew what to do , what to expect and were quick (experienced). The garbage was a tip-off likely,, indicating a new arrival with a safe as well. Every time I have been in the Villages, as a jogger, I have often seen old trucks simply crawling around , no equipment in the back and simply cruising around... may be the type,, dunno. Perhaps the local PD should stop these guys and ask a few questions. Sorry for your loss but get pro-active and please do not accept being a victim.

Originally Posted by mainlander (Post 786588)

If they simply kicked in the front door,, it sounds like they are experienced at this type of quick entry. (experienced). If they pried open the safe they must have brought the proper tool. (equipped). Sounds to me like they knew what to do , what to expect and were quick (experienced). The garbage was a tip-off likely,, indicating a new arrival with a safe as well. Every time I have been in the Villages, as a jogger, I have often seen old trucks simply crawling around , no equipment in the back and simply cruising around... may be the type,, dunno. Perhaps the local PD should stop these guys and ask a few questions. Sorry for your loss but get pro-active and please do not accept being a victim.

Originally Posted by Lynnelf (Post 784251)

I am the homeowner whose home was burglarized yesterday in Sanibel. We were out and about The Villages yesterday and when we arrived home about 2 o'clock, we discovered our home had been broken into. They kicked the front door in WITH A SECURITY BAR in place. The security bar was worthless. The molding on the inside ripped away and they walked right in. The door was not even damaged. They targeted a safe that we had in the house. Now here's the thing. There has been only one worker in the house since we got that safe. The police have that information. However, we realized that we did something very stupid. We put that box out on the street for garbage pick-up and had some other garbage inside the box. The garbage pick-up has been rather late for the last several weeks so it sat in our driveway all morning. It was like a big advertisement that we had a safe and therefore, must have valuables in the house! It seems obvious now, but at the time we thought nothing of it! So please, be careful of what you are throwing out! They definitely targeted the safe and easily pried it open. It is clear to us by looking at the things they passed up, that they were looking for cash and gold. (small items only.) Unfortunately for me, I had taken off my wedding band and diamond the night before and left it right out on my nightstand. Needless to say, they were gone. They did not appear to have been in the house long. They went through the master bedroom nightstands and dresser top drawers. It does not appear that they were anywhere else in the home. When they left, it appears they walked out the back door right to the country club parking lot where they were probably parked.
So I read on the other threads regarding this burglary that everyone on the street watches out for each other. We do that on this street too but it didn't help. I read that it is almost impossible to kick in the door with a security bar in place. Not true. There are no neighbors nearby with kids living with them that I know of but there sure are lots of contractors on this street everyday. I believe it was one of them. We didn't run out and get a security system when this same thing happened to someone else in our neighborhood, but we will be getting one now. That and a safety deposit box at the bank.