Fightin' Crime

Well, it's been a really interesting week around here. I started off the week with a crazy to-do list as always. First task to complete was to call around to local vets offices to see if anyone had reported a missing cat. We've had this beautiful and friendly cat loiteriing around our yard the past several days and I knew it must belong to someone. I'm not really a cat person, but I couldn't just ignore it. So, Monday morning, I called around to some local vets and thought I had a good contact.

Around 10:20 that morning, I was loading Emily and Blake in the car to go to Open Gym. It's a fun hour of play at the gymnastics gym nearby and we usually try and go on Mondays and meet friends there. As I was walking out to my car, I noticed a man across the street at my neighbors' house. He was knocking on their front door and ringing their doorbell.

As I loaded the kids, I realized that he was STILL knocking, ringing the doorbell and just waiting around. Hmmmm. I began to stall, waiting to see what he would do next. He peered through their front door, looking inside and then began motioning through the window as if he was able to see someone inside and wanted them to come to the door. Well, that was the deal-breaker for me. I knew with total certainty that they were not home, so I called 911 on the spot. I stayed in the driveway, car running, acting as nonchalant as possible talking to the dispatcher. I gave a very detailed description of his clothing and every other detail I could notice. The longer that I sat in the driveway, the more he must have realized he could not do anything until I left. So, he began to walk off towards the corner and walk south. I noted that to the dispatcher, was assured they were sending an officer and I was on my way.

I took off the opposite way down the street, cut over a couple of blocks and drove north on the street he had headed south on. I was trying to see which street he had gone down. As I passed each street on the way back to my street, I did not see him. As we crossed our street, I turned to look down the street and saw him walking RIGHT BETWEEN THE HOUSE WHERE THE SIDE GATE WAS!!! I was floored- he had come back when I had left!

So, I called 911 AGAIN and insisted that they send someone ASAP. I was a nervous wreck. I mean, he was walking with purpose, pulling down his beanie hat and heading to their backyard. Oh my!

As I pulled back onto our street, I motioned to the police car which house to go to and then quickly unloaded the kids. As soon as they were safe inside, I spoke to the officer to reassure him that the dog in the backyard couldn't possibly be harmful as our neighbors have young kids.

Long story short, he walked around back to find a back window had been opened. The suspect had busted out a side window to escape and had cut himself, but unfortunately had gotten away.

I called my neighbor, who immediately came home. She was a nervous wreck and walked through the house with the officer reporting what was missing. As luck would have it, everything she mentioned was in a bag he had left behind. We were so thankful he didn't get anything.

After about an hour, I heard a knock at the door. It was the police officer say that they had caught the guy. He asked if I could come with him to identify him on the scene. WHAT?? I ran and grabbed a hat and the biggest pair of sunglasses I own to disguise myself as good as I could. I rode in the back of the patrol car with my neighbor's husband and went a couple of blocks away to a parking lot where they had found him waiting for the bus. Sure enough, when they pulled him out of the patrol car, I was able to immediately confirm that "That's the guy." Don't worry, I was far enough away that he couldn't see me and I was in the back of the patrol car still. Still, it was nerve wracking.

Later that day, I got a call from the detective saying that the suspect had admitted to EVERYTHING including other burglaries in the area. He was apparently a drug addict that was pleading to get help- so I am really including him in my prayers that he will get help. He was so desperate for money that he was making wreckless decisions and had apparently broken into several homes in our neighborhood as of late. Needless to say, we are ALL breathing a sigh of relief that he has been caught. I was so worried I would have a hit out for me for being a nosey nellie, but he's going to be there awhile. And, I don't think he knew I was calling the police because why would he have come back?? Right??

So, my plans for Monday were thwarted by far more interesting events. As for the cat, he's now being fed on our front porch, so as a friend said, "Congratulations! You are the proud owner of a cat!" Oh yippee!