The Night It Happened
Around 2 AM Tuesday, my dog started barking like crazy downstairs. At first I thought it was raccoons in the garbage again. Rolled outta bed, grabbed my baseball bat leaning against the nightstand – always keep it there since that neighborhood break-in last spring.
Crept down the stairs real slow, heard glass crunching near the back patio. Peeked around the corner and saw shadows moving through the kitchen. Three dudes wearing hoodies shoving my espresso machine into a duffle bag. Heart started pounding like a drum solo.
Did what I practiced in my head a hundred times:
- Slid back upstairs quiet as a mouse
- Locked the bedroom door barricade-style with my dresser
- Called 911 whispering my address
- Grabbed the pepper spray from my nightstand
What Went Down
Cops showed up in under 4 minutes – gotta give Indy PD credit there. Heard shouting and footsteps pounding down the stairs. Looked through the peephole just as they busted out the front door. One tripped over my garden hose, cops tackled him right on the lawn.
Turned out they’d jimmied the patio lock with a crowbar. Found it still wedged in the doorframe next to broken glass. They got away with my espresso maker and PlayStation, but left fingerprints everywhere like amateurs.
My Security Upgrades
Next day I went full fortress mode:
- Installed motion lights that turn night into daylight
- Put security film on all ground-floor windows
- Got a monitored alarm system with panic button
- Started leaving the TV on timer when I’m out
Biggest lesson? Always trust your gut when something feels off. That weird noise you ignore at 2 AM could be your life changing. Still jump at garbage truck noises, but at least now I sleep with the bat within reach.
