Cracks in Home SecurityHome Security breaches oftentimes involve subtle variations of Break-In, Walk-In, Push-In, Mug-In, and Scam-In home intrusions. Always remember the overall warning signs of all predatory strategies: someone is trying to get near you or isolate you! THAT'S your tip-off! Soon after moving into a quiet neighborhood, Vivian, a single woman, awoke one night with the feeling of something cold pressing against her throat. Sleepily, she grabbed at it and, with a gasp, realized it was a knife. In her pitch-black bedroom, an invisible man’s voice hissed, "Shut up or I'll kill you!" .... In a shrieking panic, she clamped her hand around the blade and struggled for control until he wrenched it from her grip, gashing her palm. Expecting the knife to begin plunging into her, she kept screaming until she finally realized he had vanished back into the night. .... Vivian had always carefully followed all the home security rules and was certain nothing would harm her. And she was mostly right... except for one little thing... She didn't know that the previous owner had given a key to the next-door neighbor and forgotten about it hanging in the neighbor’s kitchen. But the neighbor’s cousin didn’t forget when he saw Vivian moving in. And the neighbor didn't notice when the key disappeared .... The cousin’s arrest revealed that Vivian’s real-life nightmare never would've struck had she simply changed the door-locks when she’d first moved into her home. Sometimes the littlest things.... Have a locksmith re-key the door locks (reset the tumblers) when you first move into a home, or if ever you lose a key. Never put ID tags on keys hoping some kind soul will return lost keys to you – the finder may not be a kind soul. Don't hang keys on hooks in plain view inside your home – any visitor can steal them. ... For home security, treat your keys like gold. Clever criminals can quickly make copies. Even hairdressers have made copies for partners while a client is preoccupied. Give mechanics and parking valets your car keys only, never your house keys. Raymond Prinkey pleaded guilty to raping a woman after he broke into her home using a key he found underneath a flowerpot. Excerpted from The Uniontown Herald Standard (PA) – 31 October 2006 Everyone knows the common “secret” hiding spots for keys, such as under the doormat or on top of the doorframe. For better home security, get a Keyless Fingerprint or Touch-pad deadbolt lock. Tell a friend or repairman the secret code to allow temporary access then change the code afterward. Home Security: Controlling Your Phone - Barring Intruders Contact the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov or 888-382-1222. Also beware of scammers calling you and claiming to represent do-not-call registries and requesting personal information. A single woman should have an unlisted number, Caller ID with Call Block of unidentified calls, and screen her calls with a phone answering machine. The “greeting” should say only, “Hello. This is (your phone number). Please leave your message. Thanks.” Home Security: Tips For Calling 911 A 74-year-old woman saw a strange man in her yard and dialed 911. She then saw him at her back porch. She put down the phone, with the connection to 911 still open, and moved toward the back of her house. That’s when Gerardo Castelo, who had entered her home, beat her on the face and body and attempted to rape her. ... In the meantime, the 911 operator, hearing Donna’s screams, had dispatched police to her home. When police heard Donna screaming inside, they stormed the house as Donna whacked Castelo over the head. To augment your home security, post your address, cross-streets and a brief house description on or near your phones in case a guest of yours must call 911 in an emergency. Install six-inch high black-on-white (or reflective) house numbers on your house in a highly visible location – and paint four-inch black-on-white numbers on the curb by your driveway.
See Alarm Systems Home Security: Want-Ads Wilcox used the Parkers anniversary announcement in the paper to hunt them down - robbing and killing them. A man pretended he was interested in buying the home-for-sale, produced a gun, and looted the house. Katherine Ann Olson went to Michael John Anderson’s home for a baby-sitting job she had seen advertised on Craigslist, an Internet bulletin board. Olson thought she was responding to a woman or a couple in need of babysitting. Olson's body was later found in the trunk of her car. ... A California college student went missing after she met a convicted sex offender on Craigslist. In Philadelphia, a man was accused of raping seven women, six of whom he met on the dating site Match.com. Several of the popular Craigslist web site's users have been held up at gunpoint by individuals posing as buyers and sellers, according to a number of police departments. Many users think nothing of inviting strangers to their home to inspect a used futon or laptop computer for sale. ... The cases show the potential dangers of meeting with strangers to make a transaction, whether the parties first connect through the Internet or via a newspaper classified advertisement. They also underscore the need for taking precautions, such as meeting in public, to reduce the risk. The man came with a polite smile, casually elegant attire, and curious questions about the house for sale. He suddenly flashed a knife and raped the homeowner. Harley Tapp said he had seen his attacker several days before the assault. On the day of the attack, the assailant visited the yard sale several times, but other customers were present and the man left. Later, the man returned and guided Tapp into the detached garage by asking for items kept there. As Tapp reached up to get an item, the man grabbed a nearby hatchet and struck Tapp at least eight times. Responding to a woman’s newspaper want-ad to sell a used wedding dress, a man claiming to be a theatrical costume designer pulled a gun and raped her. The police said clothing want-ads were his specialty. Criminals read your want-ads, home-for-sale, obituary notices, wedding announcements, etc. to breach your home security. Home Security: Hired Help Convicted of killing Janice Vredenburg in her Wichita home three years ago, Tanner Green coolly returned to court – this time as a witness in a lawsuit pitting her family against his former employer. The lawsuit centers on what National Catastrophe Restoration Inc. knew – or should have known – about Green's criminal background when they hired him. The job gave Green his first access to Vredenburg's home, which meandered into a neighborhood with manicured lawns where people felt secluded from violence. A newspaper carrier for the Tulsa World, who was arrested for assaulting a customer in her home, has confessed to killing at least two other woman on his delivery route. Paul Williford, 64, had been a contracted carrier for the paper and had served time in prison for felony assault. His past was not known because the paper does not conduct background checks on independent contractors. Williford gained access to the victim's home by purposely not delivering her paper so that she would call him to ask for it. When she called, he could deliver the paper in person and gain entry. Sue Weaver didn't expect a convicted sex offender to walk through her front door after calling for an air conditioning repairman from a well-known company. He cleaned Weaver's air ducts, then returned to rape and kill her. ... The story is eerily similar to the case of Joshua Bryant and Lillian Martin. Police believe the 10-year-old boy and his 77-year-old grandmother were killed by an electrician who had performed work earlier in their home. ... A criminal background check on both killers would have revealed a past riddled with felony convictions. However, those checks were never done, nor does Florida law require it. ... Jeffrey McDonnell, a crime prevention sergeant says as a personal rule he never allows a stranger into his home unless he is present. He knows the lives of his wife and children could be at stake. Even big companies and employment agencies rarely conduct criminal background checks on their employees. Keep your valuables hidden and check for home security breaches after they leave, in case someone unlocked a window. Scarsdale NY – Seven alleged gang members have been arrested for a violent home invasion robbery. Police said the ringleader was casing the neighborhood as he worked in the area doing housework and landscaping. The armed robbers pushed their way inside after a female suspect pretended to be lost and in need of help. Once inside, the intruders tied up the homeowners and their 18-year-old daughter at gunpoint. Thoroughly check out baby-sitters, nannies, gardeners, cleaners, and anyone you allow into your home. Fugitives often apply for domestic jobs to avoid scrutiny. Check references with local police at his/her past addresses. Check a moving company's references with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org. See Child Safeguarding for babysitter security. Also see Child Safety - Recap for checking the background of anyone able to defy your home security. Jared Baxter broke into a woman’s apartment but she managed to get away. A few days later, another victim at the same complex was taking out her garbage when Baxter forced himself into her apartment and raped her. Baxter struck yet another victim but she fought him off. ... Officers say Baxter peered through windows, closely watching his unsuspecting victims. But this morning, deputies caught him in the act. On hidden cameras, they saw Baxter look into the window of a young woman's apartment. But when he saw a deputy, he took off. Officers followed Baxter and arrested him. ... Statistically, police say there is one peeping tom in every neighborhood. They warn people to be on the look out for anyone suspicious. Also look for cigarette butts and tissues near windows. Home Security: Mail-Bombs and Biologically Dangerous Mail Wayne Greavette was killed when he flicked on a flashlight, containing explosives, in a parcel mailed to him anonymously and delivered by Canada Post. Suspicious signs include excessive postage or wrapping, stains or odors (some explosives smell like almond or marzipan), is lopsided or lumpy, seems to contain a powdery substance, or marked as “Personal” or “Confidential.” Businesses usually don’t use handwritten labels. If you’re suspicious, do not touch it, open doors and windows (to minimize the effects of a blast), leave the vicinity and keep others out, then call the police. Go to Safeguard your home security even if you live in Sleepy Valley - predators like to prowl where the prey least expect them. Prevent the vast majority of home intrusions - whether by burglar or invader by making sure all your family members use these home security strategies. Of course, predators will always find prey – but the most cautious targets will be spared. Return to
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