Treehouse thread on Security

[BlackSmith]

The cops asked if I wanted to press charges Mick but I declined, I didn't get off that lucky when I was 17.

 

[Mick!]

Fair enough.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I wonder if they brought the rifle to issue as a weapon or for intimidation after breaking in, or were just carrying it for poaching or something. You say that they weren't expecting to find anyone home, or they didn't think that before they decided to bring a gun? I hope their parents levied strong punishment even if you didn't press charges.

I had a break-in at a cabin that I lived in once up in Watsonville. They dumped some cereal out to be extra mean. After I lived there for awhile I came to figure out who would do that, it was an pretty isolated area...some younger guys living around that used to hang out together. One in particular looked like trouble. They ripped off a friend of mine that was growing some weed for his own purposes, I saw their car pulling out of some woods near his residence that day. He had the grass drying in his barn, and they left him one scrawny plant.

Another friend in the area had a small cabin that he rented out. I can't remember if it was occupied at the time, but I was passing near and saw him and he told me what had occurred in the night with a break-in. I went in and saw that whoever had done that had taken a dump on the sofa. Someone so mean like that, they need to dig a hole, and not for a fire pit. Some thugs living in the area can be a real problem. It was a real nice area in the Redwoods, but that cabin of his, and I think also his own residence, had been broken into so many times that he and his wife decided to leave from living there. They had a beautiful home there in a pasture like setting surrounded by woods, but they had to be away at times. The cops couldn't come up with anything, vigilantes could have served the needs of the community.

 

[kevin bingham]

Nice read Bob.

 

[pantheraba]

Handled well, Blackie.

 

[cory]

Good story, for sure.

 

[cory]

Sometimes big equipment gets stolen in plain sight too, nobody around figures that anyone that could be observed would do such a thing. Load it up and move out...wave hi to anyone that might be watching.

Agreed. Thats why I take my hardhat and yellow work shirts out of the cab at night, a smart thief (?) would wear them as he's driving down the road, waving to folks like he's the rightful owner.

 

[SeanKroll]

Shoulda been two minors with 4 major broken hands. I lesson for them, and everyone they run across.

Either of them piss themselves?

 

[Tree09]

Cool hand Bob there. They wouldn't have made it even close to the house here.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Hell, people have combines and other large farming implements stolen all the time.

 

[Chris E]

Good on ya Bob

 

[cory]

Hell, people have combines and other large farming implements stolen all the time.

that's f'd up. I can see dirt bags stealing construction equipment which can be used by other dirt bags worldwide, but who buys/trades hot farm implements

 

[woodworkingboy]

Moved out of the country is a possibility, but Jim's area is a long ways from a port. There is a big market for used equipment in China and developing countries, places like Sri Lanka. I heard that in those countries they are wizards at patching things up and getting them working again. There is a recicle/scrap place near me and when I enquired what was their plan with a zillion old weed whackers and whatnot, the lady said China.

 

[cory]

Interesting!

Im always wondering how those S american refurbishing experts are going to cope with all the cars, trucks, and machinery in general that is so heavily computer controlled, how are they going to deal with the computers?

 

[Raj]

Back in the day around here large equipment would be taken to Hamilton on Lake Ontario. Strangest theft I heard was an entire box car or two from the middle of a train.

 

[SkwerI]

I wonder if they brought the rifle to issue as a weapon or for intimidation after breaking in, or were just carrying it for poaching or something. You say that they weren't expecting to find anyone home, or they didn't think that before they decided to bring a gun? I hope their parents levied strong punishment even if you didn't press charges.

I had a break-in at a cabin that I lived in once up in Watsonville. They dumped some cereal out to be extra mean. After I lived there for awhile I came to figure out who would do that, it was an pretty isolated area...some younger guys living around that used to hang out together. One in particular looked like trouble. They ripped off a friend of mine that was growing some weed for his own purposes, I saw their car pulling out of some woods near his residence that day. He had the grass drying in his barn, and they left him one scrawny plant.

Another friend in the area had a small cabin that he rented out. I can't remember if it was occupied at the time, but I was passing near and saw him and he told me what had occurred in the night with a break-in. I went in and saw that whoever had done that had taken a dump on the sofa. Someone so mean like that, they need to dig a hole, and not for a fire pit. Some thugs living in the area can be a real problem. It was a real nice area in the Redwoods, but that cabin of his, and I think also his own residence, had been broken into so many times that he and his wife decided to leave from living there. They had a beautiful home there in a pasture like setting surrounded by woods, but they had to be away at times. The cops couldn't come up with anything, vigilantes could have served the needs of the community.

You wonder too much sometimes. Committing a felony while in possession of a firearm greatly multiplies the seriousness of the offense. This is hammered into kids' heads from the time they are old enough to know what a gun is. Our public education system is so anti-gun that kids are browbeaten regularly on how bad it is to use a gun for anything.

I think 'Bob' was way too soft in this case. If some punk kid put my wife and child in danger by breaking into my home while carrying a gun I don't know if I could stop myself from killing him. And I would be fully within my legal rights to do so.

But back to my point, it doesn't matter what their intent was. They were guilty of some very serious crimes and were very aware that they were breaking the law. There is no justification or excuse for their actions in my mind.

 

[woodworkingboy]

If they were idiot enough to kick open a door to break into a house that they thought was unoccupied, then I would expect them to perhaps not consider the consequences of having a gun with them that they were possibly carrying for purposes unrelated to the crime. Lots of people get arithmetic pounded into them when in school, probably much more than lessons about carrying guns, but they still don't know their multiplication tables well past the time when they should.

I'm not sure how the law works in Bob's state, but though as you say, carrying a weapon when committing a crime adds to the weight of an offense, intent in carrying that weapon can also be a factor as far as the law goes. Was the weapon possession considered for offense when deciding on committing a crime and to enhance ability to steal? The law looks at mitigating circumstances, and if you're a defense lawyer wouldn't you at least be asking those idiots what the purpose of carrying a weapon into the house was if they were out hunting before they broke into the house and that was the only reason that they were carrying it....or so they say? Maybe call it luck that they are still around to answer.

Bob didn't say, but I suspect that if he determined that those people were intent on committing a heinous crime with their gun if they were discovered in their act, he probably would not have been so lenient. Even the Florida law that clearly spells out the right to use force when protecting your home, there is still a gray area that the court has to decide upon when determining to what degree the homeowner's retaliation amounts to "reasonable force". Would carrying a hunting rifle and kicking open your door allow blasting those people without being additionally threatened yourself, probably so, but in the least I think the law would want to look at it in a specific case. Why they were carrying a rifle, I think my question is a fair enough one pertaining to the law's consequences, no matter that your emotions and sense of intimidation at such a moment might tell you otherwise if it was your house. Criminal history also helps determine intent.

 

[BlackSmith]

Sometimes defusing a situation is a better choice, this was one of them times. Yeah, going all Billy Badass and doing a mag dump was my first thought but the trauma my wife and ten year old son would have to endure wouldn't be worth it. Even a legal shoot doesn't mean it won't cost you everything to prove it was legal. I made money off the whole deal plus word got around that I was back in the area and wasn't going to take any bullshit.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Reputation is everything! Good thinking there, Bob, in the midst of a highly provocative situation.

 

[Bodean]

winning.

 

[Chris E]

OG

legal or not pumping few 17 year olds full of bullets is sure to open a pretty big can of worms