Tweekers and PUNKS GRRR!!

[returnofsid]

GRRRR!!!!!

So today, at about 5:15, my girlfriend shows up at my granddaughter's daycare to pick her up. In and out in 5 minutes, to find the driver's side window of our Suburban smashed in and her purse missing!

My daughter comes to pick me up and take me up there. My girlfriend is on the phone with police and I'm on the phone with Paypal, we each have Paypal Debit Cards. While on the phone with Paypal, I'm asked if she JUST made a purchase at Shopko for $620.something!? NO! The purchase was made while I was on the phone with Paypal, who gives me the authorization number. I call Shopko and speak with Loss Prevention. Shopko LP is currently watching the yahoos on video and has stopped the transaction, giving the excuse that they had to rerun the card. Shopko LP was suspicious as soon as yahoos walked into the store because one of them was bleeding from about the hand and arm and went to the restroom to clean up. The yahoos leave, while Shopko LP follows them on camera. While I'm on the phone with Shopkos, above mentioned yahoos leave the store and are followed by LP, to a nearby Target. Shopko LP alerts Target LP who immediately starts recording every move they make. Meanwhile, my daughter and I are in daughter's vehicle, on the way to Target, with a description of the yahoo's vehicle. We find said vehicle in the parking lot and block it in.

I call 911, remember, girlfriend has already been in contact with the authorities. Police are very busy with a couple very sever crimes that have also happened earlier today. Target LP won't allow me to see video but Shopko LP describes yahoos to me and I hand off the phone to him, to speak with 911, while I search parking lot.

Meanwhile, my daughter, who has yahoo's vehicle blocked in, flags down a mall security person. Yahoo's exit Target and split up. Unfortunately I didn't see yahoos but Target and Shopko LP both exit Target and approach us, still on the phone with 911. Unfortunately, neither are allowed to detain yahoos. So, we continue to block yahoo vehicle. About 30 minutes later, yahoo who owns vehicle approaches us saying he needs to leave to pick up his daughter. Needless to say, we don't let him leave, telling him we'll leave once he's in custody. He won't give up names of other two yahoos, saying he doesn't know them, only offered them a ride after picking them up an a location he won't disclose.

The waiting game begins...

About an hour later, 3 squad cars show up. He explains his fabricated story, which he's had a lot of time to make up. I explain our true story. Police know this yahoo... This yahoo is starting to act real 'tweeky.'

Cuffs are applied, our vehicle is moved and yahoo is invited to sit in a squad car.

Target invites police in to view video, he's already made a copy for them.

Shopko invites police in to view video, he's already made a copy for them.

Two other yahoos are identified, also being known by the officers.

Police officers question yahoo several times, offering him several chances to change his story, which he doesn't, even though EVERYTHING was caught on video. Yahoo gives permission to search his vehicle.

Purse is recovered, but wallet is missing, containing several credit cards, check book, drivers license and SS cards.

All in all, at Shopko, Paypal card was used to buy a $620.something TV and shampoo. Paypal was attempted, along with 2 other CCs at Target, for a total of $400.something.

One bad yahoo in custody, two other bad yahoos are being searched for.

Property Crimes are through the roof in our city, with major cuts being made to the police force (especially the property crimes division), so typically these types of crimes are barely investigated, let alone ever solved.

I'm VERY happy to say that, thanks to some great timing, an alert Paypal representative, alert Shopko and Target LP agents, this ends on a somewhat happy note. Yes, we'll need to have a window replaced, yes we'll need to replace her drivers license and some CCs, but the bad guys get to spend some time in the slammer!!

Oh did I mention that there was bloody paper towels in her purse? They bagged all that up, along with her bloody purse, as evidence. They have copies of both security tapes. They also found a customized window breaking tool and some other thievery tools in the yahoo's vehicle.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

That is a crazy story right there! So glad you stood your ground and at least one was caught......for now!

We have had many purses stolen out of cars at our church daycare.

 

[Russellaqua]

That sucks. Can't leave anything visible in the car anymore. It's the same way at the shopping centers here. A lot of people have their cars broken into at them, and you have no choice but to go to the shopping center because you need groceries.

 

[BarbH]

Wow Sid, happy that they where able to get one of the guys, hopefully the police find the other two soon. Happy that everyone was able to react quickly before much damage could be done.

 

[Acro76 Verified Sponsor]

That stinks, but at least you got justice and helped to hopefully land these "expletive deleted" behind bars for a bit. I hope Washington has a 3 strikes rule...

 

[BarbH]

I live in what is considered to be a small town, when growing up we would leave the front door unlocked. Since than property crimes have increased, in the last couple of months alone at work we have had several cars have windows broken in and purses stolen from them. Needless to say my parents tend to lock their door more often now.

 

[SmokeyCFH]

Wow. Sorry to hear that! Some people are just amazing. How hard is it to just make an honest living?! Sorry you had to go through that!

 

[Zoanthkid]

My grandma never locks her door, in the past year to year and a half she's been contacted by detectives n asked about the habits of her neighbor and informed that he was a wanted gang member and drug dealer, had a Meth lab get busted across the street and a couple houses down, and then got a knock on the door one day from an old classmate and friend of my dad's who informed her that he was now a detective, and giving her a couple minute warning to get out of the house before they shut down her dead end road for a couple hours to do another raid... he also told her that they were watching and would be busting 2 or 3 more houses on her road. He said it's crazy how much it's gone up and spread to more decent areas of town, and that he was focusing on the old neighborhood n trying to at least keep them pushed back to the worse parts of town.. my grandma still never locks her door, not at night, not when she leaves for the day, not if she leaves for a week. She's got some grapefruits if ya know what I mean;-) ... and from someone who has made the mistake of being that yahoo on a drunken night when I was a teenager, and broke into a store and stole, I'm glad you were able to get the justice you deserved. I completely regret what I did and it was the biggest mistake of my life, had I not been a fool and saved some money n waited a couple months, my whole life would be different.... definitely wasn't worth years of crap with court and the permanent feeling of having "Lowlife" stamped on your forehead whenever you have to apply for a job or anything.... not a road worth traveling.

 

[bige]

I had 4200 stole from me on linens on line. Took 5 days to get money back. Thieves suck! Bank says well their good. And that was that. Very frustrating. Sorry you robbed.

 

[Loki]

Crazy! Good job on staying there.

 

[Mike&Terry]

Sid,
I'm gonna start calling you Charlie Bronson!
Seriously, it's fortunate that no one was hurt. It sounds like those perps were seasoned thieves and it is a good thing that they weren't yet at the point of carrying or using weapons or deadly force. The bad economy creates desperation - it's well-known that unemployment rates are closely correlated to all kinds of bad goings-on i.e., bankruptcy, crime, hospitalization, suicides. What an amazing story of quick thinking, and taking things into your own hands!
-Mike

 

[revsgirl]

My goodness what a morning!

 

[steamer51]

Thanks for sharing the story of good people in security (on line and on site) doing their job properly. I like to hear when people do a good job, whatever it is, not just show up and collect their paycheck.