Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Disclosure

This last weekend I had a run in that I thought I should share. Q was visiting on Saturday and since my son had friends over we holed up in his room to play video games and stay out of their way. They were watching anime in the front room and then playing Apples to Apples. The other kids left between 9:00 and 10:30, but Q and I stayed in the room playing games for a couple more hours. Finally we shut it off and while Q was talking with my wife I searched for my glasses so that I could take my contacts off.
I couldn't remember where I put them and thought that I had possibly left them in my car since I had taken them to work with me on Friday. I went outside to see if they were there only to find that someone had gotten into my car and was in the process of stealing from it. I exclaimed with a curse word and he stood up and looked at me for a second. Then he took off running. I hesitated for half a second and then I ran after him. I had left a little cash in my car and I really couldn't afford to lose it and I knew that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just let him run away.

I followed him around the corner at the end of my street and down the next street. I was hollering the whole time for someone to call the police in the hopes that someone would hear. By the time he had gotten four houses down the next street I had caught up to him. He didn't put up a fight and a neighbor on the street heard me and came out to help me restrain him and take him back so that we could call the cops. We stopped outside my house and I hollered in to my wife to call the police. Q came out and made sure that his vehicle hadn't been broken into as well, which it hadn't. The police came and did their thing and took him away.

There was no damage done to my car, as it had been unlocked at the time. I know better, but it's an old car and the lock on that side sticks. If I had been away from home I probably would have reached over and made sure it was locked. I guess I will now, regardless. The guy pleases with us not to call the cops, but really couldn't come up with any compelling arguments. He was obviously stoned or drunk or both. I got some information from the police and looked the guy up online. He's 21 and has been arrested several times before. Multiple drug charges and counts of burglary from homes and vehicles. He's already out on bail and I don't know the timeline for court or if I will even ever have to go. It looks like he's pled out before. I'm hoping that he's had enough of a history now that he'll be doing more time but realize that probably won't be the case.

Anyway the excitement has died down. The cops told me good job and seemed really pleased that I'd gone after him. They didn't advise me doing something like that again, but felt I did well noe the less. I thought I better let everyone know before they find out from someone else and ask why I didn't say anything.

15 comments:

Churlita said...

Now there's some excitement that I don't need in my life. I'm glad you got the guy and I hope he gets help. It sounds like he needs it.

Nate said...

Its a good thing he doesn't know where you live

Dagromm said...

Churlita - Yeah, I'd feel sorry for him but it's a little difficult right now.

Nate - I'll tell you what I told my son that night, "I almost had to kill a man today". That quotes true most days by the way.

LIT said...

Deja vu, AGAIN. It must run in the family. Remember when Chill went over the hill after the joy riders who stole his current girl friend's Volkswagon when we lived on Royal Lane?

Had he gotten your money, and did you get it back? If there are any safe neighborhoods anymore I don't know where they are.

Keep in mind you are more valuable as a husband and dad than as a civilian cop. The next guy may have a knife or gun. All the same, I'm proud of you; just, please, don't do it again.

Goo said...

Yeah, I've gotta say my pride in your accomplishment is tempered by the knowledge that it coulda gone down very differently. Of course, today I almost ripped out the throat of someone who had the audacity to roll her eyes at me, so it's not like I've got a lot of room to talk when it comes to impulse control. People just shouldn't mess with us. You'd think they'd know better.

jaz said...

And I thought the superheroes were all in the comic books. Didn't know I had married into a family full of them.

By the way--the most impressive part of the story was the fact you are in good enough shape to run and shout at the same time. Way to Go!

LIT said...

Yeah, I had to write my first comment twice because I goofed, and the second time I forgot the sentence that said coaching Tazz's team must really be paying off in keeping you in shape. Good deeds pay off!

plug said...

So did you find your glasses?

Chillax said...

WHERE WERE THE GLASSES?

Dagromm said...

LIT - I don't remember that at all, but I wouldn't talk about his current girlfriends on here. His wife might see it.

Goo - The worst part was that i didn't sleep well for some days afterwards. I kept thinking that I needed to do a walk through of the house and go out and check the cars.

JAZ - No joke. Thank goodness for practicing with the girls because that's all the exercise that I've been getting.

Lit - Umm yeah. I said that.

Plug - Yes.

Chillax - Why are you yelling? I'm right here. My glasses had astutely been put on the dresser. The last place anyone would ever look for glasses. Am I right?

jaz said...

Well, Oyster likes to leave her glasses in the last place I would hope to find them. She places them on the cats' litter box. YUCK!!

Okay--in the litter box would be worse, but there is no guarantee that the cats won't figure that out.

jaz said...

Oh--and Chill is yelling because he is your big brother and that's his job.

Dagromm said...

JAZ - OK she wins. I totally didn't even look at the litter box for my glasses.

E is for Ecstasy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
E is for Ecstasy said...

Okay this is the funniest true story ever told....i cried with laughter and read it again out loud just to laugh even more as I imagined you running after the dude..lol so glasses were found and money was still in his pocket so at least one mystery was solved...thanks for the laugh! Dagromm your awesome!