Crime On Our Street
Our street is kind of tucked away in an obscure spot. We have found that getting here requires giving directions - even for long time locals. It's one of those streets that are cut in two by a steep gully, and our part probably has as many deer (plus a visiting bear cub or two) as people.
That's one reason that what happened last week seems so odd. When I was off playing my usual noon hour tennis, a man drove (Yes. He had a car!) onto our street and knocked on the door of our next door neighbors, with whom we share a small yard and a common landlord. Their home is perhaps thirty yards to the West of where we live.
The woman inside the home was surprised at this request. She excused herself, but then returned to the door with a bucket and told the man that he was welcome to get all the water he needed from the outside hose. To someone desperate for water, this would seem to be a good solution, considering that the man was a total stranger. But instead of thanking the woman and making use of the hose and bucket, the man became enraged.
That's when the crime spree began. He loudly cursed at her, then went to his car and pulled out a sledgehammer. He left the screaming woman inside, but shattered some of the windows on her car with the sledgehammer, then reached into the car and scattered the papers inside all over the driveway.
And he wasn't satisfied. At first, he got into his car and drove away, but was soon afterword seen in a nearby back yard, still wielding the sledgehammer. Soon, a group of neighborhood residents started to pursue him until police arrived and arrested the man. He was charged with suspicion of burglary, vandalism, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance - the usual one, I suppose. He is being held on bail of $50,000 .
Mona was home during all this, but had her head in a kindle book and did not hear a thing. I returned from tennis about the time the man was put under arrest. The neighbor's car, I noticed, had lost at least one window, and there were papers scattered on the driveway. Naturally, I had no idea what had just happened.
It's a week later. I don't know how auto insurance figures into all this, but the car sits in the driveway with a large cloth covering all the windows. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I suppose if someone wants to get into my old Honda badly enough, there isn't much that could really stop them, so I usually leave the doors unlocked. It now has about 140,000 miles, but I was told that it had been stolen twice before we got it. A few more years and it will be old enough to vote.
That's one reason that what happened last week seems so odd. When I was off playing my usual noon hour tennis, a man drove (Yes. He had a car!) onto our street and knocked on the door of our next door neighbors, with whom we share a small yard and a common landlord. Their home is perhaps thirty yards to the West of where we live.
The woman inside the home was surprised at this request. She excused herself, but then returned to the door with a bucket and told the man that he was welcome to get all the water he needed from the outside hose. To someone desperate for water, this would seem to be a good solution, considering that the man was a total stranger. But instead of thanking the woman and making use of the hose and bucket, the man became enraged.
That's when the crime spree began. He loudly cursed at her, then went to his car and pulled out a sledgehammer. He left the screaming woman inside, but shattered some of the windows on her car with the sledgehammer, then reached into the car and scattered the papers inside all over the driveway.
And he wasn't satisfied. At first, he got into his car and drove away, but was soon afterword seen in a nearby back yard, still wielding the sledgehammer. Soon, a group of neighborhood residents started to pursue him until police arrived and arrested the man. He was charged with suspicion of burglary, vandalism, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance - the usual one, I suppose. He is being held on bail of $50,000 .
Mona was home during all this, but had her head in a kindle book and did not hear a thing. I returned from tennis about the time the man was put under arrest. The neighbor's car, I noticed, had lost at least one window, and there were papers scattered on the driveway. Naturally, I had no idea what had just happened.
It's a week later. I don't know how auto insurance figures into all this, but the car sits in the driveway with a large cloth covering all the windows. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I suppose if someone wants to get into my old Honda badly enough, there isn't much that could really stop them, so I usually leave the doors unlocked. It now has about 140,000 miles, but I was told that it had been stolen twice before we got it. A few more years and it will be old enough to vote.
posted by Mark at 9:41 AM
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