That other incident happened in the middle of the night, I was on my way to the bathroom and saw that guy in the backyard messing around our door. He obviously had no business there - it was a closed area so you don't simply inadvertently walk in. If you're there, you're intruding. So I diverted my course from the bathroom to the backdoor, through the kitchen, which is where I grabbed that pan. 
 
This time, at least I had my pants on. :)
 
I would have preferred not to be dragged into this but the subpoena is clear. Nevertheless, I find it a bit odd that they didn't interview me beforehand, because there really isn't much I can say. I caught a glimpse of on guy who was sitting on a chair, facing the other direction, and saw another one for a fraction of a second before I backed away.
 
Anyway in such a case, the first thing I want to see is the hands of the guy in front of me. There is honestly no way I can ever identify either of them. 

Many years ago, I was doing laundry in a laundromat in Chicago late at night.  There were a few people in there and everyone was minding their own biz.  A guy came in and started harassing people, pushing them around, trying to paw through their stuff, etc.  When he got to me, I got in his face and yelled at him.  He had a really crazy look in his eyes and he looked like he was on something.  I had found over the years that showing that you're not going to back down will often stop one of these guys from pushing their luck.  (I also found one time when it didn't, but that's another story...)  This guy took a few swings at me.  Instead of hitting back, I just blocked his punches.  I didn't feel that I was in any real danger and I didn't want the police to charge me with anything if I retaliated.  I continued to yell at him and order him to back off.  The police got there pretty quickly, cuffed him, and hauled him away.  
 
I went to his trial as the witness/victim.  I was surprised when the prosecutor asked me what kind of sentence I wanted to seek.  The prosecutor said the guy had already agreed to plead guilty and they were just going to talk sentencing.  Apparently, he plead guilty in order to avoid the more serious charge of possession.  I told the prosecutor that I didn't think prison time would help this guy and I thought court mandated drug counseling might be more effective.  The prosecutor was happy with that, so they went to the judge and made a deal.
 
I don't know if that helped this guy or not.  It seemed like a better option than dumping him in cell.  That's probably got nothing to do with your situation, Rain.  It just came to mind, so I thought I'd toss it out there.

UbiquitousBubba
Many years ago, I was doing laundry in a laundromat in Chicago late at night.  There were a few people in there and everyone was minding their own biz.  A guy came in and started harassing people, pushing them around, trying to paw through their stuff, etc.  When he got to me, I got in his face and yelled at him.  He had a really crazy look in his eyes and he looked like he was on something.  I had found over the years that showing that you're not going to back down will often stop one of these guys from pushing their luck.  (I also found one time when it didn't, but that's another story...)  This guy took a few swings at me.  Instead of hitting back, I just blocked his punches.  I didn't feel that I was in any real danger and I didn't want the police to charge me with anything if I retaliated.  I continued to yell at him and order him to back off.  The police got there pretty quickly, cuffed him, and hauled him away.  
 
I went to his trial as the witness/victim.  I was surprised when the prosecutor asked me what kind of sentence I wanted to seek.  The prosecutor said the guy had already agreed to plead guilty and they were just going to talk sentencing.  Apparently, he plead guilty in order to avoid the more serious charge of possession.  I told the prosecutor that I didn't think prison time would help this guy and I thought court mandated drug counseling might be more effective.  The prosecutor was happy with that, so they went to the judge and made a deal.
 
I don't know if that helped this guy or not.  It seemed like a better option than dumping him in cell.  That's probably got nothing to do with your situation, Rain.  It just came to mind, so I thought I'd toss it out there.

Thanks for this one - that is one good story.
 
As an alien resident in the US, my first option will always be to avoid any sort of trouble. In fact, in my entire life, I've always  behaved in a manner that would make sure that I was as irreproachable as can be. All I want is peace and quiet and to be able to focus on my loved ones and my music.
 
Last night we were talking with the landlord and he had all those stories of people who had been sued by their assailant - particularly back in Canada. One guy won a lawsuit because he had injured himself on judiciously placed razor blades when trying to break into a house. They ruled that the mechanism was a result of malicious intentions, so the house owner ended up being the one who was penalized.
 
And there are so many stories like that.
 
The world really is upside down.
 
 

We live out of town and when going away for a few days I lock the front gate with a flimsy chain and electrify it.

Where I grew up, a little 11 000 souls town, we rarely locked the doors - certainly not when we were at home. You'd sometime step out for a quick errand and leave windows opened and doors unlocked. I can't imagine someone walking in uninvited in my dad's house w/o my dad knocking them out, anyway. 
 
We practically never heard of guns, nor did I hear of anybody pulling a gun on someone else. My dad had a couple of them for hunting, which he kept locked away in the basement. Anyway, in the worst cases, issues were solved with fists. Maybe they thought it was a lot more satisfying and relieving to punch a guy and to humiliate him than to shoot at him.
 
The worst I've heard of was that one guy who's had been hit in the head w/ a crow bar - motorcycle gang related incident. They had their own rules.
 

UbiquitousBubba
Many years ago, I was doing laundry in a laundromat in Chicago late at night.  There were a few people in there and everyone was minding their own biz.  A guy came in and started harassing people, pushing them around, trying to paw through their stuff, etc.  When he got to me, I got in his face and yelled at him.  He had a really crazy look in his eyes and he looked like he was on something.  I had found over the years that showing that you're not going to back down will often stop one of these guys from pushing their luck.  (I also found one time when it didn't, but that's another story...)  This guy took a few swings at me.  Instead of hitting back, I just blocked his punches.  I didn't feel that I was in any real danger and I didn't want the police to charge me with anything if I retaliated.  I continued to yell at him and order him to back off.  The police got there pretty quickly, cuffed him, and hauled him away.  
 
I went to his trial as the witness/victim.  I was surprised when the prosecutor asked me what kind of sentence I wanted to seek.  The prosecutor said the guy had already agreed to plead guilty and they were just going to talk sentencing.  Apparently, he plead guilty in order to avoid the more serious charge of possession.  I told the prosecutor that I didn't think prison time would help this guy and I thought court mandated drug counseling might be more effective.  The prosecutor was happy with that, so they went to the judge and made a deal.
 
I don't know if that helped this guy or not.  It seemed like a better option than dumping him in cell.  That's probably got nothing to do with your situation, Rain.  It just came to mind, so I thought I'd toss it out there.

 
 
People can handle **** and have a sense of hum-ane-or about the process.
 
That sounds just how my Grandma would have handled it.
 
Job well done!!!
 
best regards,
mike
 

 
"...They had their own rules."
 
Having your own rules can make everything seem more "legitimate", but it doesn't change what I call the *Big Picture*.
 
 
best regards,
mike
 

And we've just taken care of the security system issue. Decent deal, decent basic protection. These things are pretty sophisticated nowadays, with remote access and custom logs and all. Smart phones, smart homes - what's next - smart people?
 
Anyway, security works in layers, and that one layer we just added helps me breathe a bit better. Like a sigh of relief when they installed the sign in front of the house. Almost feels as we've finally repaired a door that wouldn't lock before or something. 
 
Next thing I'll look into is the camera system.
 

craigb
I believe just having the warning signs is enough since they aren't going to waste time trying to find where you've hidden the cameras.  Any time they can actually see one (real or not), they can disable it. 

You are right. It reminds me of an old saying, "locks only keep out honest people".
J

"I've discussed it briefly with the cops. Apparently, we shouldn't worry too much."
 
Yeah, don't worry about it... the cops will show up if a crime is comitted against you or yours. Never think that they are there to protect you, they aren't... they respond when a crime has been comitted.
Rain, don't be paranoid but be aware.. and wary. Trust to your instincts. If you feel something is wrong, it usually is. Be on guard until some time has passed and if these thugs go to jail try to keep up with when they are getting out and then be prepared for a month or so... but I think you know all this.
 
J