News, Elderly Woman Dies From Heat After A/C Theft.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by wildbill80

Burglary only applies if you enter a building or habitation. Stealing an AC unit from behind the house is theft, not burglary. The value of the AC unit would probably make it a felony theft (state jail felony), but felony theft does not apply in the elements of capital murder.

Also, for capital murder to apply in the case of a burglary, the death would have to have occurred during the act (or the attempt) of burglary.

Capital murder and felony murder are two different things. Read the law.

Burlgary charges aren't limited to buildings, they can also be brought for illegally entering a car or any structure, or for theft of an article permanently attached to a dwelling or structure. (Like an AC unit or antenna)

[steel7]

Originally Posted by SUPERCHIC

this is very sad, but, if the AC was important to her health, she should have been placed someplace else till the ac was replaced. Sounds to me like family did not do their part in this and should also be held accountable.

I agree but maybe she was just too stubborn to leave her home & the family gave up asking. You can only do so much.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by 007.5

I have often thought about electrifying my aluminum window sash (surrounded by vinyl siding on wood) as i live in the woods alone and want to leave the window open in nice weather to cool off my home when im gone. I dont want to kill a Thief however...only shake him to the core of his Being ; but I suppose if the Perp. lost his life Id be in hot water . BUT, in Florida, if youre IN THE HOUSE when the Thief is entering your home, you can by law stand your ground , not retreat, and shoot him if you feel threatened.

Yes, sadly even if you weren't charged by the police for the shocking....you'd be in a bad way for the criminal suit.

My advice is that you could get some motion sensors that send a message to your cell phone if triggered. You could then call the police that someone is in your house.

On the CHEAP you could get some beware of dog signs and fake stickers on-line for alarm companies.

Let's be honest, for an isolated home if they come to rob the place your window open or closed won't matter if they know you aren't home they just break your window or door.

[AnnieA]

Originally Posted by GloryB

I feel sorry for the lady, but people DID live without air conditioning for centuries BEFORE they had them. There are also thousands of people who crossed Death Valley on their way to California in wagons. Drinking enough water and taking proper precautions would keep someone from dying from a heat stroke.

So again, I'm really sorry for this elderly lady, but I don't think they person who stole her AC unit killed her.

At 79 years old and inside a hot house during a heat wave....? How do you know what her medical conditions were ? May be she had COPD and had trouble breathing, may be just the stress of just trying to rest at night or breath may have caused her to have a heart attack !!!! Plus, her body may have been conditioned to A/C. It's fact. I am southern born and elderly and I can't take the heat anymore. Now, my mother, rarely was in AC and she could handle it better than I could.

[AnnieA]

The AC thieves are getting copper out of the units and probably selling the rest for scrap....a major hospital in my area had one of the big units stolen off the top of one of the buildings. It was in the local newspaper. Businesses are having theirs stolen on a daily basis. If a house is left vacant, as a lot are now, the AC usually gets stolen. I hope and pray they do not get mine as I have a big deductible on my HO's insurance.

[30STM]

If the Elderly woman turned down help. Such as another AC and did not want to stay at friends family that offered, then it's not the theifs fault she died.