[macguy]

House was broke into this morning. We went out to the bank this morning about 9 am. My wife was driving and since she was going out with a friend later figured she would just go over there now and I would take the car home. I didn't have my license so I said lets go back home and I will get my license. We were gone only about 10 minutes. She sat in the car and I ran in to get my wallet. As soon as I got in the bedroom I knew something was wrong. One drawer was open and there was some cheaply jewelry on the bed spread out.

I keep a gun behind the head board and I grabbed it and went out to tell my wife what I thought had happened. We went back in the house and started looking around. Our doors have double keyed locks and can't be opened from either side without a key and all the doors were still locked. Whoever it was may still be in the house and I began searching every room and closet anywhere someone could hide. I didn't find anyone. After looking around we found a broken window in the utility room. That is where they came in and also left because there is no other way out except to break through another window. I have a feeling who ever it was saw us leave and may have thought we were going to work and they would have the house to themselves, but we came back. I haven't been robbed in a long time and I guess I have gotten complacent.

1. Not having a gun with me. I have a permit and only recently have gotten out of the habit of carrying it. 2. Leaving a gun in the house where someone could have found it even though it is hidden. 3. No alarm, not that they make any difference. A thief comes and goes so fast they don't matter in an empty house and few people pay any attention to them anyway when they hear one. Several things are very disturbing about this. The person had the nerve to break a window, they must have been sure the house was empty. That leads me to believe whoever it was knows there are only two people in the house and are familiar with us to some degree. Also, suppose my wife was home sleeping and only I went out and the person still thought the house was empty. As tough as she is and she carries a gun as well, she may have been a story on tonight's news.

I am pretty much calmed down now but when we were searching the house I already had in my mind I was going to kill whoever it was regardless if I found them in the house. I am very sorry to even be posting this stuff but I can't help it. It isn't supposed to be like this, I can't even leave my house anymore without worrying about it being broken into? I have to carry a gun and entertain the mind set to kill if I have to. I know I should have just called the police and not gone back into the house but I can't help what I did and how I felt at the time.

Years ago when I was in the bar business early one morning two guys came in and were acting funny. They asked for gum and some other dumb questions and then both went into the mens room. Another thing, they were wearing jackets on a hot day. Only my friend John and I were in the place and we both moved to the other end of the bar, which was L shaped, away from the mens room. I was behind the bar and had two guns in my hands and told John if anything happened I was going to kill them both. They came out and kind of stood around like they were thinking about something and I am sure could tell we had taken a defensive position at the other end of the bar. They went out the front door that was about 60 feet from the bar without ever looking back. I ran to the door and saw them speed away with another guy in the car.

This is what scares me right now, I had the same feeling today I had then and I don't like. I don't want this anger and hate to well up in me like that. I don't even know where I am going with this post as I write it I just know it isn't supposed to be like this. I am not sorry to say, It will be one of my happiest day when Fort Lauderdale is just a memory. I don't know if there is any place where you leave the doors unlocked and life is safe but this is defiantly not the place. I am not at all anti-Florida, just the kind of people it seems to attract. I am done now, my wife just called and she in on the way home and we will have the same talk we have every time something like this happens and I hope we get out of here very soon.

[Rhett_Butler]

Wow.... Sorry to hear about that. Your initial feeling and reaction is justified IMO. I would feel the same I think (as far as being ready to shoot if you found the intruder and that sick violated feeling, etc... ), though admittedly, I've never had an experience like yours and hope I never do...

[Go4It!]

Sorry to hear about this situation. I know it has to be a stressful moment. If the person had been in your home upon your return you could have just as easily lost your life. Be thankful you and your wife were not harmed.

With the turmoil in the economy, the constant influx of drugs, and illegals flowing in from everywhere you have to be constantly aware of your sorroundings. Its easy to sit and study the movement of people coming and going to know when someone is not home. Be safe, this situation is not just a Florida thing but it seems to happen all to often.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I am SO sorry. I can only imagine how violated you must be feeling. I think the feeling that you have is completely understandable.

Did they get anything of value?

I assume you called the police, at least I hope so.

[faithfulFrank]

Ditto what VAfury and Go4it! said,

My feelings exactly. I'm sorry this happened, but glad you and your wife are safe. I could not believe the violated feeling I think I would have if this happened to me.

Frank D.

[Songbird42]

I have sympathy for you and am sorry that you have to go through this.
I was robbed in August, they "only" took my checkbook and forged several thousand dollars all over town, besides the inconvenience to me, the bank
etc. and hours in court, they got a slap on the wrist, which I am furious over
2 yrs probation, 25hr community service and restitution.

Its a sad day when you can't leave your home and feel safe, this isn't the first time I've been robbed either and no matter what I do, it does not deter anyone. I got a dog.......alarm........the best locks on the market....chains on sliding glass doors and still they got in.

The day of the breakin I was at the ER with my daughter and they got in the house between noon and 4:00PM, the neighbors saw nothing, didn't hear nothing or they didn't want to get involved which is more likely.

Again I'm sorry that you and your wife had to go through this.

[flburgos]

macguy:sorry to hear what happened.i have a similar story, i was broken into a few years ago the only difference was i took public transportation after work and my wife would get home from work before me.so after the break in she would wait outside my job so we would go home together because she was so terrified and i could not blame her.i myself had trouble being in the house at times ultimately we moved we just could not overcome it.we felt as if it was no longer our home.we have kids so it was a really a tough time.i recommend you start looking elsewhere because you will never fell the same in your home again.the only people that don't care about an incident like this are the ones that are used to this kind of conduct.

[INeedAChange]

Sorry for what happened, but it's a good thing you didn't have the gun--it would have just gotten a bunch of people killed for no reason

[Wild Style]

macguy from the sound of it, you guys were being watched. Probably for a couple of days.

When I lived in a house, our A/C unit mysteriously caught on fire one day. So the fire trucks and all that come, right. Well the fire marshal is like, yah, your neighbor saw someone on the side of your house at 5:00 am this morning. I am thinking to myself "it is now 1 in the afternoon and they didn't stop to think, to come tell me or call the police?". Neighbors suck down here, but, I would say go talk to your neighbors, ask them if they noticed anyone hanging around or any cars parked around your way that shouldn't have been there etc.

Best of luck.

[desertsun41]

I bet you wish you had Joe Horn for your neighbor.

That alone should have been enough said but since you are in Florida you may not have heard of our American Hero. So here is the story:

ABC News: Force or Defense? Man Kills 2 Next Door