Robbed :(

[alkemyst]

Paladin 4910 SealTite Pro & connectors $128.45
Harbor Freight 41482-0VGA SAE Taps $74.54
Harbor Freight 41481-0VGA Metric Taps $74.54
Compaq Armada M700 $738
1GB Ram $38.99
Logitech MX620 $46.98
USB Hub $4.97
Incra TRule $42.95
Incra 1000SE $104.68
Incra Miter Express $135.59
Infinity 010-060 blade $71.99
Black&Decker Batteries $76.50
Craftsman 19.2V Drill/light $99.99
Craftsman 10" compound saw $129.99 #137.212290
Craftsman 3100psi Pressure Washer $776.36 #580.752230
Craftsman 165psi Compressor #919.167600
Ryobi BS901 $106.50
Black&Decker JS660 Jig Saw $53.25
Craftsman Rotary tool $74.54 #572.610950
Craftsman Tool Box 30792 $37.28
Ace 32 gallon Trash Can $20.00
299 piece sockets 35299 $511.19
21 piece Drive Tool Acc. Kit 42283 $74.54
17 piece Metric Wrench 49671 $85.19
17 piece Metric Wrench 49671 $85.19 two sets
13 Piece LP Metric Wrench 45964 $106.49
10 Piece Metric Crowsfoot 4363 $53.24
10 Piece Metric Ignition 42339 $21.29
11 Piece Metric Stubby 44139 $69.21
7 piece SAE nutdriver set 26504 $8.51
5 piece metric nutdriver set? $8.51
7 piece SAE Hex by Evolv 10044 $9.99
7 piece Torx by Evolv 01005 $9.99
7 piece Metric by Evolv 10058 $9.99
Gearwrench Stubby handle 81209 $38.99
1/2 drive handle 44996 $39.99
1/4 drive handle 44994 $24.99
3/8 drive handle 44995 $32.99
OBDScan Tool (odbscan.com) $149.49
serial to prism cable $29.95
mini plastic case $9.00
19.2V Craftsman Charger/2 batteries 11377 $90.51
grease gun $20.00
3/8 Air Rachet #919.182880
1/2" impact wrench #875.191182
Harbor Freight Long Blow Gun
Sears Air accessory kit
Harbor Freight Tire Guage
Harbor Freight Med Blow Gun
Harbor Freight Short Blow Gun
Goodyear 50' Hose
Harbor Freight Hi Flow Male ends (7)
Harbor Freight Hi Flow Female Ends (1)

Problem is no receipts for the handtools it's a ton of cash since the 80's building up my toolbox...

I haven't dealt with my insurance yet since it's a holiday weekend, but I want to be prepared.

Anyone deal with this in the past? I have pictures of the toolbox (a craftsman 4 drawer socket box...but they make it different now) and posts on the internet recently looking for all of about 20 sockets to 'fill' it.

I had the big boys in 30mm+ and 1"+...all the little gizmos to get the right size/angle for the job, etc...my stomach is sunk thinking I have lost it all.

The kicker in all this is I paid for a security system (arriving Tuesday) the same day I was robbed, the thieves actually opened the box holding my security signs and decals (and probably had a freaking laugh).

I am doing a complete perimeter...covering my workshop in window, door and motion.

I am posting a second thread for some gate advice. The tore the wooden gate I had out of the wall a bit (it's not locked, but it looks like the pushed it open with the truck, maybe when my neighbor called and they ran) so I have to re-do it now anyway. It's 13' total wall to neighbor with a 3' people gate and 11' rolling gate...I want to lock it up and keep it a privacy type gate

Some of the stuff they took:
3 frozen pizzas, a $9 step stool but left my Great Ladder, the rock that held my gate open, all my toilet paper and paper towels, my toaster oven and microwave yet left the Keurig, a pot roast.

 

[phy6]

Holy ****! Were you out of town or something? Or was this at a business place? That's a lot of heavy stuff to move!

Had you told anyone your plans on getting a security system? Someone with that knowledge might have struck knowing it was going to get locked down.

Sorry for your loss. It's all replaceable, so don't dwell on it too much. This is your chance to learn all you can from the loss and pass your warnings on to future generations (and us!). My cure for that sick feeling stomach is to go to the local Walmart and buy a 12ga. Works for me anyway.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Where do you live, alkemyst?

 

[ddawg16]

The kicker in all this is I paid for a security system (arriving Tuesday) the same day I was robbed, the thieves actually opened the box holding my security signs and decals (and probably had a freaking laugh).

That is a BIG flag......good chance it's one of the alarm company employee's.....

Of course you had some identification on all the tools...right?

If not, start going to pawn shops and watch craig's list ane Ebay...

 

[alkemyst]

Holy ****! Were you out of town or something? Or was this at a business place? That's a lot of heavy stuff to move!

Had you told anyone your plans on getting a security system? Someone with that knowledge might have struck knowing it was going to get locked down.

Sorry for your loss. It's all replaceable, so don't dwell on it too much. This is your chance to learn all you can from the loss and pass your warnings on to future generations (and us!). My cure for that sick feeling stomach is to go to the local Walmart and buy a 12ga. Works for me anyway.

house...3 on the same block, all of us in a row. Between 8:30am and 12noon.

My security company is out of state. It's a local opportunist knowing the routines of us and our police.

 

[Jerm]

That ***** to hear, I to had some stuff stolen a couple of weeks ago.

 

[BetterDays]

house...3 on the same block, all of us in a row. Between 8:30am and 12noon.

My security company is out of state. It's a local opportunist knowing the routines of us and our police.

Homes or garages or both?

No one was home?

Hopefully something turns for the better for you.

 

[alkemyst]

mine was the first home/workshop...the others the garage wasn't touched.

no one has been home in any.

 

[krooser]

We had a rash of garage break-ins around my place earlier this year. The cops knew who was doing it but could never catch 'em. One oficer stopped by my place one day and filled me in... he said that they made the bad actors aware that they were being watched and they moved on...

I now lock my shop doors for the first time in 15 years... but I need to do more.

 

[e-tek]

Sorry about the loss Alky....wouldn't you LOVE to catch someone?? Had I been on the ball today I may have!!
We live in a great little neighbourhood, where we know all our neighbours and have only had some hubcaps stolen in 7 years here - So we where getting complacent....left all the doors open and went to a car show for a couple hours, came home and was sitting out back, on the deck. I "thought" I heard something inside, but no-one else was home so I dismissed it. Came in much later and my laptop is gone. Nothing else. They must have just come in, then effed off when they heard me out back....

Seems so weird when just one thing is missing....so I changed a bunch of passwords and stuff. The only thing "of value" on it where some kids pics....all my cars photo's are on photobucket! Oh well, time for a new computer anyways...

 

[G-force]

One good thing about the big rolling tool carts is you can lock a lot of items in them. Good luck to a thief loading up a half ton roller without being seen.

I hope you get some kind of return for your tools.

 

[tatra]

had a home invasion after the idiot i had for a wife decided the doors needn't be locked while i slept after working midnites........luckily for me i woke up and startled him off...........found out later the same guy had beat and cut up senior real bad getting him to write out his pin numbers for bank cards.........saw he had all mine out of my wallet and a pen and paper ..........kinda wish he and i woulda tangled with him as a lot of pentup frustration back then..........none since the divorce..........now always try to lock everything up as scum is everywhere and my hood is ok compared to some..........

 

[1320stang]

One good thing about the big rolling tool carts is you can lock a lot of items in them. Good luck to a thief loading up a half ton roller without being seen.

My dad had a big truck mechanic that worked for him in the early 80's, had a big Snappy box with cabs on both ends (over $20k back then). They broke into the back door of the shop, hooked up to dad's utility trailer, used the 12v winch to load said toolbox, loaded our 2 pristine Honda 200 Big Red 3-wheelers and a set of large sockets for working on big rigs and got away.

No one saw 'em, but the cops said the FBI was working a big theft ring and they knew who was doing it, were working to make a big case on them, theft ring was centered out of Colorado, never heard anything else.

 

[Kevin54]

Locking up does not always work. A friend just built a new 100x175' building for his scrap business. One evening he was ripped off of about $20,000 worth of copper and other metals.

The bad thing was the thieves used a cordless gun and unscrewed the sheetmetal off of the side of the building to gain access.

Now he has 16 security cameras around at various locations feeding back to his home and to his business.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Actually, you were burglarized, not robbed.

 

[e-tek]

Actually, you were burglarized, not robbed.

And the burgler was not a ****-wad, he was a ****-weed!!

Like I said, we'd never been robbed, burglarized, compromised, ripped-off....until yesterday...

and when someone has the balls to come in at 4:30PM, when the doors are open and people may be home - it's just boggles the mind. Do they knock and knock and ring the bell and see if anyone is home, then walk in and check?? So happened I had just gotten home, but went around the back and was sitting on the deck when they must've noticed me or been otherwise startled into taking off. Kids I'm guess (and hoping!)...

 

[Jaguar Fan]

Man, that sux.

My brother's home garage was broken into about 10 years ago; the local police didn't seem interested in doing anything besides filling out paperwork as his home is in a high-crime, high-occupancy-turnover, few-people-speak-english, no-one-ever-cooperates-with-police neighborhood. At my brother's urging, ultimately the police did retrieve some fingerprints and physical evidence.

About 5 years after the break-in, the police told my brother they found the perpetrator - already in prison for something else, and they would be prosecuting the guy for my brother's break-in and several others in the neighborhood.

good luck.

 

[brian90505]

Theives are scum.

 

[brownbagg]

it was somebody you know, why would they hit you and not next door, before the secuity.

 

[pipehack]

it was somebody you know, why would they hit you and not next door, before the secuity.

+1 I was thinking the same.

 

[mad57]

My buddys body shop here in nj just got hit for a chevelle 68 totally redone big block 396 factory car. security cams got him on tape( he wore a hood) on a sunday after hours , he was in the car for over an hour, then drove past front door towards the parkway. kicker is he blasted through 2 eazy pass tolls 2 hrs north headed towards nyc, they just got the tickets in the mail. so how big of balls do you have to have or how desperat do you have to be to drive a stolen 68 chevelle over 2 hrs on open road. crazy time we are going through, seems even with tons of security if they want it theyll get it. i told my buddy get another rottweiler guard dog!! when he was alive nobody took nothing.

 

[skyboy1956]

Alkemyst,

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. ~1983 I had all of my tools stolen when I lived in Louisiana. The insurance was pretty good about paying my claim without reciepts. I had the same deal, 20+ yrs worth of collecting and it took a while to come up with an itemized list that was even close to what I had. It was a carefully thought out, someone monitored the movements and learned the patterns. More on the insurance later.

BTW, for those who think your stuff is safe locked up in a box, the thieves used a prybar on my tool cabinets which were locked and was able to spring the drawers open. The rollaround tool chests/boxes were trashed, so they left that part behind. Apparently put everything on a large tarp and rolled it up.

Interestingly, an alert neighbor had noticed a pickup truck parked on side of the road and got a description and wrote down the license tag #. After the investigation stalled, I presented the vehicle information. They said they checked it out, dead end lead. So I did my own investigation and found out the truck belonged to the nephew of a detective in the sheriff's dept. So I hired an attorney, spent a lot of money, threatened to sue the Sheriffs office. Never got any satisfaction, you can run up $$$ with no results. Case never solved.

Back to the insurance, I had made a claim from some storm damage to my roof, had a previous claim for a foiled burglary to my house about a year earlier. The insurance paid the claim for my barn/workshop loss and sent me a nice letter saying they were dropping me as a valued customer....and they were nice enough to put my name on a list so I couldn't get insurance elsewhere.

With high unemployment in a lot of areas, there are some desperate people out there looking for way to a cash in for a quick buck. Batten down the hatches.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Man,couldn't imagine losing everything like that.Just learn from it and move on!

 

[Bobby B.]

Terrible, sorry for your loss.

I'd make sure you change any important settings or info on that security system. If they looked through it, they know how it works, default settings, bypasses or master codes (so it wouldn't matter if you put in your own code) etc.

 

[Keep]

First thing that came to mind was the security company. You said it was out of state, but they need local people to do the installs.

When I was in North Carolina we had someone that would knock on the doors and ring the bell, if no one answered they would break in. My roommate was in the shower when they did this, came out to find a guy trying the back door...cops called they caught the guys a few weeks later, they were using the firebreaks at Ft Bragg to get access to all the backyards for their get away.

Hopefully your stuff will turn up.

 

[independentrider]

there is nothing worse than a ******* thief. I hope a rabid dog ****'s this guy in the ***! Sorry for the language.

 

[alkemyst]

it was somebody you know, why would they hit you and not next door, before the secuity.

My neighbor was robbed right prior to me which was why I went out and ordered a security system. My back french door had pry marks (the police said they were pre-existing ).

Any way came back here to update that years later they still have not been caught and were able to clean out at least 4 homes in broad daylight.

I had extensive records and serial numbers and nothing has been found.

That said, one of the homes up the street from me was hit by someone looking for just jewelry type items. The lady was normally home all day, but had been out. The guy was caught eventually and had a history of beating up people while robbing them.

I doubt the police here would have ever caught him (his face was on several video cameras over the years he had been doing this ... like 15+ homes and he'd even smile at them). The dude stole a ring that was in this family for 300+ years or something like that and the lady went nuts.

She literally would drive pawn shop to pawn shop / jewelry store all day and night. She actually ran into the guy. I am not sure if it was the family heirloom or not, but they were able to retrieve one of the items and place the pawn shop in violation.

He used a fake ID, he was not on their video surveillance and the 'thumb' print was just a smear on the paperwork. Plus they also had the item not inventoried properly, supposedly for these kinds of things the pawn shops are supposed to put a special hold on them in case another owner shows up.

Anyway, get a security system if you don't want to deal with even 5 years+ later realizing you lost special things your didn't even know were gone.

 

[alkemyst]

First thing that came to mind was the security company. You said it was out of state, but they need local people to do the installs.

When I was in North Carolina we had someone that would knock on the doors and ring the bell, if no one answered they would break in. My roommate was in the shower when they did this, came out to find a guy trying the back door...cops called they caught the guys a few weeks later, they were using the firebreaks at Ft Bragg to get access to all the backyards for their get away.

Hopefully your stuff will turn up.

I installed and programmed the system myself. It's really not that hard especially if you have a mechanical/engineering type background.

The company can assist with programming over the phone if needed or even pre-program and label your stuff for an extra fee.

Most of my system is wireless (including my workshop with a motion and 5 window/door sensors. My two fire/smoke/heats, two motion detectors inside the house and 6 glass breaks are hardwired as are my two control pads and wireless receiver.

I have cellular, landline and IP connectivity. I also put in three $75-100 wireless IP cameras that I can monitor on my phone, get 2 way audio from and record.

It was easier than I thought...the hardest part was being in a S. Florida attic when it was like 85 degrees outside.

 

[Strouty]

What kind of toilet paper was it?

I hate it when someone steals all my toilet paper.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Jeeze, this thread is from 2009...

 

[alkemyst]

Alkemyst,

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. ~1983 I had all of my tools stolen when I lived in Louisiana. The insurance was pretty good about paying my claim without reciepts. I had the same deal, 20+ yrs worth of collecting and it took a while to come up with an itemized list that was even close to what I had. It was a carefully thought out, someone monitored the movements and learned the patterns. More on the insurance later.

BTW, for those who think your stuff is safe locked up in a box, the thieves used a prybar on my tool cabinets which were locked and was able to spring the drawers open. The rollaround tool chests/boxes were trashed, so they left that part behind. Apparently put everything on a large tarp and rolled it up.

Interestingly, an alert neighbor had noticed a pickup truck parked on side of the road and got a description and wrote down the license tag #. After the investigation stalled, I presented the vehicle information. They said they checked it out, dead end lead. So I did my own investigation and found out the truck belonged to the nephew of a detective in the sheriff's dept. So I hired an attorney, spent a lot of money, threatened to sue the Sheriffs office. Never got any satisfaction, you can run up $$$ with no results. Case never solved.

Back to the insurance, I had made a claim from some storm damage to my roof, had a previous claim for a foiled burglary to my house about a year earlier. The insurance paid the claim for my barn/workshop loss and sent me a nice letter saying they were dropping me as a valued customer....and they were nice enough to put my name on a list so I couldn't get insurance elsewhere.

With high unemployment in a lot of areas, there are some desperate people out there looking for way to a cash in for a quick buck. Batten down the hatches.

They will also just roll the rollaway cabinets on to a truck.

Back in the 80's like you found out were a lot different.

For my claim they said a video would not be enough when I said I'd get that to them as I had it fairly recent even of most of the areas.

They wanted receipts, owners manuals, etc. Fortunately I buy almost everything online and most of what I didn't I had scanned in.

Of course if they succeeded in stealing my computer, I'd have been screwed. My tower is built into my home office desk. To remove it requires some ratchets (a wrench would not get to the fasteners and I also used an odd sized head that a standard 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8", 3/4" set or similar metrics would remove ) and about 30 mins of time. Attempting to smash the desk would destroy the computer as well (the problem I'd have is the HDD's would still probably work if they decided to still leave with a smashed computer).

The thing is like 30" tall and about the same deep...it's an old style looking tower so they'd have no idea if it was just an old 486/pentium or something with $2k in video cards inside it. It's just a mid level PC though...I haven't upgraded in years to anything main stream.

 

[alkemyst]

Jeeze, this thread is from 2009...

jeesh, this was my thread. I am updating it in case anyone cares about a huge workshop loss.

If you don't care, it's fine to skip ahead to the next one.

 

[alkemyst]

What kind of toilet paper was it?

I hate it when someone steals all my toilet paper.

Charmin Strong.

Talked about being assed-out though.

 

[lisiecki1]

I installed and programmed the system myself. It's really not that hard especially if you have a mechanical/engineering type background.

The company can assist with programming over the phone if needed or even pre-program and label your stuff for an extra fee.

Most of my system is wireless (including my workshop with a motion and 5 window/door sensors. My two fire/smoke/heats, two motion detectors inside the house and 6 glass breaks are hardwired as are my two control pads and wireless receiver.

I have cellular, landline and IP connectivity. I also put in three $75-100 wireless IP cameras that I can monitor on my phone, get 2 way audio from and record.

It was easier than I thought...the hardest part was being in a S. Florida attic when it was like 85 degrees outside.

Do you have a link to the manufacturer for the system you're using?

 

[Strouty]

Charmin Strong.

Talked about being assed-out though.

Phew, I was hoping it wasn't Northern Quilted.

 

[seagravedriver]

I appreciate the update! A monitored security system is just one of the layers covering us. It helps on homeowners insurance as well.

 

[thundermug]

We have security system, and we're on the second floor. Because of the neighborhood, I'm always a bit paranoid when we leave town. I usually take some of my irreplaceable stuff with me, as there isn't too much of that.

The rest of the stuff I really care about gets locked up in a huge desk. But honestly, the alarm so loud that you can't even think straight, let alone ransack a house. The police response time is pretty good, too.

 

[alkemyst]

Do you have a link to the manufacturer for the system you're using?

Sorry I haven't updated, been extremely busy. If anyone has questions on this they can feel free to just email me as well at alkemyst [at] 30moons [dot] com.

www.DSC.com

Most of their lineup is geared to professionals so I am not sure what support they offer. With my vendor www.alarmsystemstore.com I get all the support needed.

 

[Strouty]

Did the insurance cover the toilet paper?

 

[alkemyst]

We have security system, and we're on the second floor. Because of the neighborhood, I'm always a bit paranoid when we leave town. I usually take some of my irreplaceable stuff with me, as there isn't too much of that.

The rest of the stuff I really care about gets locked up in a huge desk. But honestly, the alarm so loud that you can't even think straight, let alone ransack a house. The police response time is pretty good, too.

Never expect an alarm to ever get you help. Having a dialer that calls the police/fire/paramedics as needed is usually your only hope of response.

I have read tons of stories and even witnessed them first hand of neighbors just ignoring alarms.

I sort of get this for car alarms esp in busy apartment/condos where people have set the thing up far too sensitive. But, SERIOUSLY?!?!? people hear an alarm from a neighbor's place and don't get up off their duff? Worst are those that then complain about the alarm "inconveniencing" them.

I have dual sirens. One internal and one external.