Another Dammed, Thieving Vagrant!

These apartments are two buildings, L-shaped, and the inside rear apartment has always been a problem: a few former problem tenants had questionable company sneaking in through the alleyway and back windows; and whenever vacant, it has often been broken into by vagrants.

The former tenant had left a few things behind, and we tossed all but a sofa, microwave and some miscellaneous stuff (which I jammed into the microwave).

Aaarrgh! They struck again.

I had made sure the windows were locked.

I had made sure the door was locked.

I did take photos.

I had left all the lights on.

I had checked it often. Obviously not often enough.

3:30 pm

Now, I am not accusing certain neighbors, but it was odd that I saw this dude pacing back and forth across the back building, then talking to someone standing behind the stairwell wall.

8:30 pm

Same people, same pacing, same gut feeling.

This time I went around the back alley and checked the apartment. Yep, locked up tight: I went home.

Two days later, I went back with a helper to finish up AND found the microwave plugged in! Someone had obviously slept on the sofa. The toilet seat was left up. The steel stepladder was taken. The paper towel spindle AND towels were gone. The vacuum, cleaning supplies and my tools did remain. Whew.

Called the owner. Called the locksmith. As the workman finished up, again we checked all the windows. (These windows have little tabs, wings, on the inside, so that you may raise the window an inch or so, but no higher. I sold these windows one miserable summer years ago; those little tabs will prevent the window from being forced open from the outside.) As we checked the inside window, which ‘looked’ like it was in locked position, actually wasn’t, and could be easily slid open from the outside.

Then we noticed that someone had broken the tabs from the inside. Idiots, my tools were on the kitchen counter, the needle-nose pliers would have done a better job.

Someone had planned to come back often and camp out. Heck you boldly plugged in the microwave!

When we locked up, I placed the packaging for the new dead bolt just inside the window frame. Made sure that they could plainly see it when they tried to force that window back up.

I want security cameras and prosecute the little #$@$#%!