After 30 years we got robbed...

The guy that did it has lived 150 yards from my shop all of his life. He's 24 now and he used to ride his bike over to the shop as a little kid and we'd let him hang around while we worked on cars, etc. I pinstriped his first bicycle, helped him with any problem he'd bring to us, and so on. He was the youngest of 3 boys and we kind of "adopted" him because he was the runt.

Now he's a crack-addict and he broke into the shop and went nuts. He stole my 32 pistol and went to the corner store, (were he's been a customer for his entire life) and attempted to rob the guy. When the guy saw him shaking, he knocked the gun out of his hand and he ran out of the store.

Then he went back to my shop and stole my brand new laptop with an irreplaceable CD of dis-assembly pictures from one of our restoration projects, a 1930 Packard. I had just put the CD in it the day I bought it to see how fast it would open them up and then that next day it's gone.

He also stole 4 digital cameras, $300 cash, a small collection of coins, a bunch of checks and all kinds of other small stuff.

Here's the biggie... he stole a pair of AFB's from a '66 Hemi Belvedere that we're restoring. They are "priceless" because EVERYTHING on this car is exactly what it was born with! It's a 1 of 1, 50,000 actual mile, one-owner car that is 100% correct. The carbs were completely restored and sitting in plastic bags, ready to install as soon as we set the engine in.
LUCKILY, one of the neighborhood kids had heard about the carbs and got them back before anything happened to them. He heard that the thief was going to throw them in the river because he figured they were worthless! That kid has really been instrumental in helping to solve this thing. We knew who did it on day one, but we've got to have solid proof and we've had a LOT of help from the neighborhood.

I'm afraid everything else has been turned into crack and we have been trying all week to follow the trail, but I guess I can kiss the rest of it goodbye. At least we got the carbs back, but after a week, I'm still upset.

I confronted him on Monday (it happened last Saturday) and he swore to me he didn't have anything to do with it. Over the course of the last number of years counseling with families of addicts, plus having a couple in my own family, I know it's part of their make-up to lie and make you believe it if possible. When he told me it wasn't him, he never batted an eye! That's scary!

Anyhow, the investigator called me around 6 on Friday evening and said that they finally have enough to get a warrant on him, so maybe they've arrested him by now.

I wish there was a lesson to share, but you can do all you know of... be a good neighbor, lock your stuff up, stay vigilant, etc. and if some crack-head wants what you have, all he has to do is break out a window and take it! I hate what drugs have done to this world!!!

Anyhow... I guess I just needed to vent

 

Wow, what an unbelievable story, especially since you've "adopted" the kid. Hopefully you'll get the rest of the stuff back. Good luck.

 

Sorry to hear, I know the feeling as we were robbed in Sept. Never got any leads on ours so you are lucky to know who and may be able to get other items back. But the sense of security that you once had is permanently gone. We upgraded to a security system with cameras and feel somewhat better but you still have to worry. As you said these drugs have got people doing crazy things and it just keeps getting worse.

 

How did he not get arrested immediately for the attempted armed robbery of the store? Drugs will be the thing that brings this country down if anything does. Drug addicts will steal their own childrens toys and hock them to get the next fix........some even try selling the kids themselves.

We are very guarded about letting anyone into our shop and have had requests from people to "stop by" when they are in the area. We hate to be rude but we allow no one in, you never know who is going to turn on you like your long time buddy.

It is a different world today than the one we grew up in.


Don

 

He wore a ski mask at the convenience store, but the owner has known the kid for years, he didn't need to see his face to ID him, but the police need more than that, they need something that will stand up in court. Evidently they got the driver of the car to talk, or something like that, I'm guessing. I'm sure the Investigator will fill me in later, he's a good friend of mine.

You're exactly right, it IS a different world than the one we grew up in.

 

That is a story heard all too often nowadays. Every generation has said it but, the world is just not the one some of us remember growing up in. Sadly we look like we're headed the route of the Romans, we'll be our own demise. You're not the first to vent or rant about it. More folks need to hear and see it. I'd like to think it can turn around but I just don't know. We just have to keep "plugging" along with our antiquated morals and trust when and where we can. Sometimes my word and sincere handshake serve me well then other times...............hang in there buddy

 

Sorry to hear about such a thing. Good luck. Look forward to better days.

 

Be cautious as to what you do, I had some old cars on the rear of my property and was seeing things missing, so I set up a taught-line with large treble hooks and covered pipes with navel jelly. Some kids attempting to steal scrap metal got hung up in taught-line and ended up with navel jelly on face, arms and hands. I was sued because "I made scructure with intent to harm", I was told I could have been arrested but wasn't. The little turds got busted breaking into anouther garage and finially got some time.

This "crack", "meth" and other home brewed drug epidemic will be the downfall of our society as it is taxing our law enforcement resources into bankruptcy.

 

That really sucks....I have bars, alarm, and a camera at my shop in the center of no where, and I still worry about my shit. Not that I have much, but it took me 73 years to gather it all and would only take one crackhead a couple of hours to clean me out.
Sorry about your bad luck.

 

Yep, the criminals have all the rights it seems. There was a shop owner in Miami who was getting broken into all the time, they were coming in one window. He rigged up a shotgun to that window and a few nights later bagged a theif who was breaking in. The shop owner was arrested for murder. If I ever have to shoot someone to defend myself you can bet he will be found with a knife next to him.


Don

 

Sorry to hear that. I've been through it. My shop was cleaned out in 2007. Every quality tool I owned. Even know who did it because they came back the next night looking for more. We got a license number and called cops. I even followed their car to their house. Cops couldn't do anything because my stuff wasn't there. We were insured but still.....

I pray the kid not only gets caught but gets the help he needs to get back on track with his life.

 

Around here hate to say it but the cops don't bust the crackheads suppliers,knowing that if they bust the supplier there revenue will go down. See if you can get some info on the kids supplier and you'll probably find your stuff.

 

Sad. Tiptoeing on the political line, I'm sure we will be hearing about more of these stories..diminishing police forces, drugies, poor economy, etc. I wish you the best of luck, in recovering your losses (I'm sure it hurts even worse, when it is someone you have befriended).

 

Same thing happened to me last year. Guy stole a laptop with a broken screen,a digital camera that didn't work and another one that was good.

My son found out that it was a kid from the neighborhood that used to hang out in my garage with my son and his friends all the time when he was a teenager. Kid is drugged up and his life is in shambles. Told the police who it was but they never did anything,couldn't prove it they said,even though the original officer on scene picked up a fingerprint where he broke the window getting in.

Only bad thing was that there were a lot of pictures from years ago on the old laptop that can't be replaced. Now I routinely upload all my pics to Photobucket so this can't happen again.

Sorry this happened to you.

These are bad times. I know of so many young adults from good families that are screwed up on drugs.It's not just in the ghetto anymore.

Good Luck

Tom

 

Sorry to hear about this, but you are right about those carbs being irreplaceable so I am glad you got them back. Maybe this incident and the consequences will be what gets him back on the right path.

Yeah, right.

 

Thats a shame...

 

It's pretty sad when these kids get hooked on drugs. I had a girl that we had around the house a lot years ago who at one time even had her own bed in my daughter's room stop by to "visit my daughter" and steal my daughter's psp to sell pr trade for drugs.
My nutcase dog probably keeps some would be sticky finger boys at bay but that might not be enough some day.

 

“Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”

-Socrates

"The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they alone knew everything and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for girls, they are forward, immodest and unwomanly in speech, behaviour and dress."

-Socrates


"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint"

- Hesiod, 8th century BC

"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?"

- Plato

</pre>This has been going on for centuries, and will continue on for centuries. When the old farts die off and the young people become old farts, they will complain about the same things.

 

The lesson is that we all need to raise our kids the best way possible and make sure esp with boys to keep them busy....sports,cars art whatever just not idle time...try to instill morals and harwork and the end result of being into drugs...

 

Yea that sucks large ! I get more concerned every time I read about another robbery.......

 

^^^ good points..
But I don't think they had crack and meth...

Crack is Whack... I have seen many friends and associates go down the road with it..,

Sorry about your shop..

 

Thats really terrible and sad. It makes you wonder who you can trust these days.

 

booby traps can get a lawful homeowner in trouble ... better ways to kill the pricks....

 

25 years ago. My wife's girlfriend's husband (Dave, an unemployed carpenter) was on meth/crank but said he was trying to quit. I felt sorry for their kids as they were doing without. I hired Dave to paint my garage. Paid nearly double what the job was worth but gave 3/4 of the money to his wife for spending on the children. A month later, Mrs. Lowkat and I went on our annual "get out of the SoCal desert heat" 3 month working trip to Oregon.

Upon return, I found my garage cleaned out of every tool. Dave rigged a window during the previous paint job. I went to Dave's house (while his kids were in school) armed with a baseball bat. He opened the door and I gave him a 'love tap' on the forehead. He squealed within 5 seconds. I took Dave to his dealer and bought most of my tools back.

Now I needed to recoup buying my stuff back. I informed Dave that he would be at my house every Saturday and Sunday at 7AM sharp to paint it using a 4" brush and if he didn't show up, I'd be over to fuck him up.

Took him 3 weekends to finish the job. During that time I drilled him every 30 minutes on how bad he was fucking up his kids, ruining his marriage and life. Took him about a year to become a functioning member of society again. He thanked me a few times as the years went by. He's a painting contractor now... hahaha

 

Sad to hear about your robbery, especially as it was someone you knew, that must hurt.I hope you get all your gear back, and i hope the kid gets his life straightened out later.Glad nobody got hurt , that crap is ruining a lot of lives for sure.


We got our rental villa bugalarized when we were in Florida.....the Deputy Sherriff said they had a big problem with Crystal Meth addicts breaking into houses around Polk County.....I slept with a big kitchen knife by the bed for the rest of the holiday...a couple of snowbirds from Conneticut across the road went to K Mart and bought a load of door locking stuff..totally freaked them.

Must say, I was totally impressed with your Police...we even got a letter from Sherriff Grady Judd (?) when we got home ,giving us an update on things.We even got a crime scene banner on the front lawn of the Villa.. ha ha

 

I keep preaching and now it seems that some of it no longer falls on deaf ears.
If you live in a "right to carry" state, get your permit.........and carry. If your state does not have "right to carry" get with any organization that advocates for it and work for passage. If you realize it or not the chance that you will have to defend yourself is becoming almost inevitable. If your not ready your family and friends will be reading about you in the obituaries. A sad commentary for a peace loving nation such as ours but as the liberal agenda becomes stronger the decay of our society will go on unabated. Time to take stock of who and what we are and be ready to defend it.

Frank

 

yeah, as everyone else has said... that sucks

 

Everyone is a loser in this situation. You because you were the innocent victim of his crime, him because he is the victim of addiction. Hope insurance helps cover some of your loss. Just goes to show how the scurge of the damned drugs can ruin a person. Sounds like he could've been an awesome kid. It's all just sad to hear.

 

Break his fucking hands! That is what a thief deserves!

 

No use, as they will heal. Better to cut them off.