Warning...

I am sure that you are all aware of the harsh times that our economy is facing, and with these times come violence, invasions, theft, and mild "insanity" as people are trying to regain what they have lost or may potentially lose.

On Sunday evening around 7:30pm, our Jeep Cherokee was stolen from our driveway. This may sound "typical" for the area, and many of you may have had this happen to you, but you must understand that Shawn and I were at home - lights were on, we were visibly moving through the house, etc., and they took this from our own property knowing that there was the potential of being caught in the act.

The two people broke the back window, broke the cover off of the ignition, and somehow used this wrench to crank up the Jeep (no hot wiring anymore I guess)...and we didn't hear ANYTHING! We suffered through a long night of police reports, phone calls, sleep deprivity, & stress as you could imagine. The next day, I went to work & Shawn stayed home waiting for a locksmith - there was a spare housekey in the Jeep and we wanted to take all precautions. He began to ride his bike to the nearest ATM & found the car literally a couple of blocks away in a senior citizen residency (where we later discovered another car had been broken into 3 cars down from where they left ours, & another car was stolen after their first attempt failed). I guess they got tired of "joy-riding" in our Jeep? It was then that we confirmed that our house key was taken. Ask me how much I've slept since Sunday night?!

Long story short, our Jeep has been recovered, but it is not in driving condition, nor do we feel comfortable driving or sitting in a vehicle that has been raided (they went through every inch of the car), abused, & disrespected.

I wanted to share this story with you because these things are happening way too often in our beautiful city because of rough times and desperation. I also believe that many of these crooks are not being actively pursued by law enforcement, and they are feeling invincible. Many of you may say, "These things will never happen to me," but they most certainly do...and often times right in front of your face.

I have been a victim of burglary twice in the last two years - once a year ago when my condo was gutted of both replaceable and irreplaceable items, and now Sunday when our vehicle was taken. I can tell you that it's something that you never get over - having your privacy and personal space invaded & never feeling like those people have been punished for it.

I want you all to be safe...no matter where you are. As much as you may want to, you cannot assume that people "mean no harm." Pray daily, and have faith that you will be kept safe from violence & invasion. Please learn from us: our car was locked & secure, but we could have kept it in the garage with the other vehicle; do not leave valuables (incl. paperwork) inside your vehicle even for a few minutes; never leave your car running to warm it up; invest in a good alarm system. We were very blessed to have our car found and to have avoided any confrontation with the thieves, but others have not been as blessed as we have been. Please take care!!