When a Stranger Calls at Night

pagerdaddy · 10-22-2006, 08:04 PM

I awoke at 6 AM Saturday morning to the sound of the panic alarm on my wife's Xterra. I rose up and looked out the window, seeing a man standing in the middle of the road in front of our driveway. My wife came running into the bedroom, and proceeded to tell me there was a man standing behind her SUV when she started to get in it to go to work.

It was still dark outside, so I put on some shorts and flip flops, stuck a pistol in my pocket, and grabbed my Surefire light. The man was still standing in the road when I went outside. I asked him if he had been standing in my driveway.

He said that his car had broken down on him and his girlfriend, and he needed to use a phone. I told him that he had scared the hell out of my wife, and he better get back down the road......NOW (No, I didn't pull the gun out).

He took off back down the road, and I felt a little guilty for not offering assistance, but I was still pissed at the way he had scared my wife, and my having to get up two hours earlier on a Saturday morning than I needed to.

I called the County Sheriff's Dept. and advised them what happened, but they never sent anyone to check things out. My wife went on to work, and I had to leave at nine myself. When she returned home around 1 PM, the guy's car was still parked down the road. She walked next door to the neighbor's, and they (three women) tried to get close enough to the car to get its plate number.

They observed the man was inside the vehicle (no girlfriend) although they had thought it was empty. They immediately went back in the neighbor's house and called the cops again.

When two deputies arrived, the man gave them a false name at first. They were able to identify him as a fugitive with three felony warrants out for him. The car wasn't broken......just out of gas and stolen. He tried to fight the officers when they slapped the cuffs on him. One of the cops came up to the neighbor's house and told my wife how lucky she was that she ran immediately after observing the man behind her vehicle. The guy was also so stoned he didn't know where he was.

I know we've discussed before about guys breaking down and going up to stranger's doors at night to ask for help. I've always been very suspicious when such requests come late at night, and about the only assistance I'll give is to call the Sheriff's Dept. for someone.......or a lead donation if required.

SOCALTITANKC4X4LE · 10-22-2006, 08:08 PM

I'm glad your wife was not assaulted. These days, if someone does not have a cell phone, it makes me suspicious.

**konigfritz** · 10-22-2006, 08:12 PM

Damn PD! People always amaze me thinking that they can get away with crap like that. Glad to hear everyone is okay.

ablexus · 10-22-2006, 08:14 PM

Got a dog? I can't find my glasses so my night vision sucks, but let the dog out and god have mercy on anyone that he smells as a threat.

Andrew

**Carbeaux** · 10-22-2006, 08:20 PM

I can see and hear pretty well still at night, but I'm with you Andrew. My dog goes out with me for anything I go to investigate because he sees and hears much better than I do!

Man PD, I'm just glad it worked out OK for you guys. That's freaky.

**konigfritz** · 10-22-2006, 08:32 PM

Amen boys. The pack is now up to three. 3 50lb growling beasts makes a pretty good deterrent. Although I think only 1 of them would actually (and has) go after somebody.

pagerdaddy · 10-22-2006, 08:58 PM

I've got two large German Shepherds that will bark at anything that moves at night......trouble is, I usually sleep through it. I don't want to get up when a cat walks down the street.

I'd rather not be sued if it turns out someone really is just in need of help, even late at night. In this state you have to have a reasonable amount of fear of death before using deadly force. The guy didn't approach me, so it ended with his retreat.

He was pretty stupid to hang in our neighborhood all day. That's just asking to be picked up. Any smart criminal would have left the stolen car and headed for the woods across the road. Must have been the dope.

ablexus · 10-22-2006, 11:10 PM

Mine is a half german shepherd, half boxer. He's the most civil dog I've ever seen... while the other dogs in the neighborhood are baying at the moon, he hangs out at the foot of the bed. He knows what a strange sound is, though, and heads out to investigate before I know what's going on.

One time, I let my friend have keys so he could crash at my house when he got drunk. Middle of the night, my dog runs out like there's someone breaking in. All I hear is a "whoa, boy" and a growl before I call him off.

Glad everyone's ok and another car thieving fnck is off the street.

Andrew

**Blackbeauty** · 10-23-2006, 04:17 AM

Wow! That's some freaky sh1t! Good thing he wasn't armed. Along with being doped up, that would be a nasty combination. Glad all turned out well for you. I'll bet the little lady is still a little shaken up though. That will take some time for her to get over, I'm sure. Does she carry? At least mace or taser?

**Helinut1970** · 10-23-2006, 04:46 AM

Wow Steve scary stuff and the exact reason people need to defend their rights to have firearms. I had something like that happen to us around 11:30 at night all tucked away in bed. I heard someone running across our front yard, We had 2 1/2 achers at the time, and then the banging on the door started I had cameras all around the house outside, and I do at my new house here too. I could see it was a woman in a beat up dress screaming "hes going to kill me Help!! Let me in!!" I dont mean knocking I mean breating the door down. My wife gathered the childern out of bed and into the hallway and she dialed 911. I was thinking should I let her in? But something told me to check the other cameras and sure enough there was two colored guys in the carport waiting for me to open the door. I screamed to my wife "You need to tell them to hurry! And I screamed through the door "If the door comes down Im shooting." I walked up to the bay window and showed my piece just to let her know I wasnt kidding. Then quickly backed away and about that time the cops pulled in, all 6 of them. WOW what a feeling that was! Like the calvery just came in! Long story short they rounded them up and said they have busted them before for doing this and when they got the call they had a feeling who it might be. The next morning I went out front and found 2 crack pipes and a firearm in the mulch bed behind the hedges. I didnt find any crack but they must have thrown them when they saw the cops pulling up so fast. Its too bad you cant trust anyone nowdays. In the future if someone comes to the door in need of help they are on their own I am very very sorry to say.

tnbowhunter · 10-23-2006, 05:12 AM

Wow!! That's some scary $hit!! Glad the wifie is ok. I'm sure it shook her up good.

These days you just can't take chances, there are too many freaks out there that will kill you for a couple of bucks. Sounds like you did the right thing by arming yourself first.

I'm just glad the idiot stuck around long enough for the cops to put his sorry azz where it belongs.

pagerdaddy · 10-23-2006, 05:23 AM

No, the wife doesn't carry, and has little interest to learn. It's very uncommon for these type of situations to come up around here, but with all the meth activity now, who knows?

She did the best thing under the circumstances (run immediately). She said she would have shot the guy just for being there if she had been armed.

Now there would be something to wake up to on a Saturday morning:

"Honey, I just killed a man in our driveway."

I might have hurt my back rolling him over to the neighbor's yard.

d0va · 10-23-2006, 05:27 AM

glad to know you and your wife are ok...

**Blackbeauty** · 10-23-2006, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pagerdaddy

"Honey, I just killed a man in our driveway."

I might have hurt my back rolling him over to the neighbor's yard.

Here in PA, you have to make sure you drag the body into the house. Inside, they're a prowler and you can claim self-defense. Outside, they're a victim and you're in deep doo doo....

**Helinut1970** · 10-23-2006, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty

Here in PA, you have to make sure you drag the body into the house. Inside, they're a prowler and you can claim self-defense. Outside, they're a victim and you're in deep doo doo....

Here in FL it doesnt matter where they are now. Just slide a bat in his hand and problem fixed!! LOL