Crime-Safety-Security
Newsletter
27 May 2008

Folklore and fables – from vampire and wolfman legends to tales of The Brothers’ Grimm – tell us of ogres, fiends, and monsters. Today we call them violent criminals. They’ve always plagued us and – as long as passions, madness, and evil exist – always will. Let’s blow away a predator's biggest advantage: the naïveté of the prey.

SCAM-IN / PUSH-IN HOME INVASIONS

“Let me in. Can I use your phone?” Andrew Patti had a bad feeling about the teenager at his door. He said he had car trouble, but Patti wasn't buying the story. Maybe it was the family dog barking minutes earlier, apparently at something outside, or possibly Patti's sense that someone was watching him through the window. ... “No,” said Patti. ... “C'mon, let me use your phone.” ... The incident took place six months before two Dartmouth College professors were killed in their home. But Patti had the advantage of being armed with a handgun, along with the resolve not to open the door, fearing a city-style “push-in” robbery attempt. ... Patti was unaware that the stranger had brought along his friend crouched in a bush. They both had hunting knives. ... Patti showed the stranger his gun. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,” he replied. “I just want to use your phone.” Patti instead offered to call a local garage. But when he picked up the phone, it was dead. Before knocking, the two teens had cut the phone line. ... Patti spent the night staring at the door, waiting for the potential home invaders to try again. ... Robert Tulloch, 17, and his 16-year-old friend, James Parker, never returned to the Patti house, but they managed to con their way into the home of Half and Suzanne Zantop, two Dartmouth professors well known for their kindness and killed them in a stabbing frenzy.
Excerpted from The Boston University Bridge – 16 January 2004

(This was an attempted Scam-In / Push-In combination. Also see Intuition.)

Contact Us with your comments or questions for this newsletter.

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HOMEOWNER SEVERELY INJURED BY TWO INVADERS
A man was severely injured defending himself from two men who broke into his home. The man was home with his wife waiting for a guest when two men knocked on their door. The two broke the door off its hinges and forced their way into the house. ... "He was expecting somebody at that same time, so he initially opened the door. When he recognized it was two home invaders, he tried to close it, and there was a violent struggle, and they broke in," said police. "He was pistol-whipped in the face."
Excerpted from The Denver Post – 19 March 2008

See Door Reinforcement.

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UNLOCKED WINDOWS

He was peeping through windows when he came across an apartment's unlocked bathroom window, police said. Serial killer Timothy Krajcir said he climbed in, then hid in a shower stall and ambushed the woman when she entered the bathroom.
Excerpted from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch – 24 January 2008

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A man is suspected of committing nine home invasions. The most violent occurred when Jacques Sénécal was fatally shot during a robbery of his home. The man used the same methods to gain entry into the houses he targeted – via windows left open during warm weather.
Excerpted from The Montreal Gazette – 24 January 2008

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THREE HELD AT GUNPOINT IN HOME INVASION
Family members described a morning of terror as a pair of masked gunmen held guns to their heads and then tied them up. The bandits stayed in the house for about 30 minutes. The bandits appeared to have entered through a rear window. "One of the guys just came right at us," Albert Rojas said. "He just said "this is a robbery. Don't look at my (expletive) face or I'll blow your (expletive) brains out.' " ... Neighbors expressed shock and concern. "It worries me that something like this could happen so close to my home," said Ethel Hugie, who has lived on the street for 35 years. "This is usually a quiet neighborhood. I never remember anything like this." ... Bill VanMater, another neighbor, said he saw police in the area, but never suspected the type of violent crime that had been reported. "This is scary," he said. "Nothing like this has ever happened here before, and I've lived here 17 years."
Excerpted from The Asbury Park Press (NJ) – 05 March 2008

As I constantly point out, complacent residents in sleepy neighborhoods are often jarred awake by an in-your-face real-life nightmare. Why? Because predators have all heard how people in sleepy neighborhoods are known to brag about having sloppy security. Then they’re always so surprised when predators strike.

See Window Reinforcement, Simple Home Electronics, and Alarm Systems.

Think about it: the above crimes likely never would’ve happened if those innocent victims had known what you’ve just learned in this newsletter.

HOME INVASION: HOSTAGE SURVIVAL & ESCAPE

Newberry County SC – The father says, "The front door busted open and three guys come in with guns – hit me in the eye with the butt of the gun. They got me on the floor and just kept asking, 'Where's the money?' I said, 'I don't got no money.'" "He said, 'Is it really worth dying over having no money?' ... Terrified, the man's wife hid. Her daughter with cerebral palsy was also attacked. "They tied her up, busted her head and broke her arm. All I could think was how could I get help? If I hadn't got out, I feel we would all be dead. I really do." ... At that point, the mother ran. "When I ran out that door all I could hear was my daughter screaming, knowing I had to leave her behind. It was terrible. I didn't know if they'd be alive when I got back with help." ... The man the mother sought for help called 911 and grabbed a shotgun. He said when he confronted the suspects, they ran to a van. "I aimed toward the van and shot one time with a shotgun and they took off."
Excerpted from WIS-TV (SC) – 08 January 2008

The stronger the emotional bonds between hostages, the stronger the captor's power over them. The hostages may be strangers, coworkers, neighbors, friends, lovers, spouses, or relatives. Strangers might take the first opportunity to escape and summon help. But a parent would have a hard time leaving a child, or a husband leaving his wife – though it may well be the best way of saving them. See Hostage Survival & Escape.

To likely avoid such a nightmare in the first place, the family would’ve been wise to follow the advice in Home Security. Also see Door Reinforcement.

Contact Us with any questions, comments, or requests. I’ll answer as many as possible in the next newsletter.

Contact Us for Michael Edward Loftus Sr to speak to your group.

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Pointing out a victim's possible missteps before she fell prey is not always a bad thing, according to Linda Fairstein, renowned author and former New York City sex crimes prosecutor. "If we can learn something from it, we can give her back some dignity," she says. "If we see what the risks are and what would prevent this from happening to someone else, then there's something that benefits the memory of that victim."
Excerpted from The New York Daily News – 24 August 2006

We’d be wise to learn from the little mistakes of victims. Usually, they didn’t know that predators are always hunting for carefree prey. As Dr. Anna Salter wrote in Predators, "Normal, healthy people distort reality to create a kinder, gentler world than really exists."

You don’t need a bulletproof vest, a bodyguard, or to sleep with one eye open – just a new attitude toward being S.A.F.E.:

Skeptical of anyone trying to get near you or trying to isolate you,
Aware of danger zones and escape strategies,
Flexible: being tricky, changing strategies as needed – and if worse comes to worst:
Exploding like a mad dog to fight for your life. Stun & run. See Fighting Options.

Whenever you’re tempted to be careless, ask yourself, "What could possibly happen?" The stories throughout this newsletter and web site show what could possibly happen – and how to avoid being easy prey.

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