As a pre-caution, are there programs that allow you to record video with your webcam and upload it to an online site? It'd be useful if something were to happen.
Just use any regular webcam software and sign up for Dropbox. It will upload the video as the files change. Although if the thief is savvy enough they'll kill the net and phone connections quickly. If I posted what happened with our intruder, you guys wouldn't even believe me
Oh, and just as a note. If it's an inside job they'll let themselves in first, steal the stuff, and then kick the door in on the way out. If you have door wedges, jam them under the door to prevent key access to your place. This is also good advice when travelling, so you don't get mugged in your room by criminals who associate with staff.
I have a story to tell also. I came home one day, and I noticed a white pick-up in the bushes that looked like it was trying to be hidden. I walked up to my house and saw the window had been taken out (frame and all, lol) and so I continued into the house. I picked up the nearest improvised weapon to me (which happened to be a rake, lol). I walked into the house with my rake, and saw the theif rummaging through my wardrobe looking for cash. He must of heard me first cos he ran towards the nearest window, picked up a potted flower, smashed the window with it then jumped out and ran away. The window made a lot of noise, and luckily some people heard it and tried to chase the their down. They failed and the theif got away. But then I called the police and they arrested the guy a couple weeks later. Why does it always happen to me .
You were more brave than me, there is no way that I am walking in to that house, who knows what's in there. That's for the cops to find out.
Possible important info on said iPod that could contain leads to the inside job if it's true? As to the neighbor's friend, he possibly could have researched the state before leaving. Maybe just to see how it is, maybe to try to find legal loopholes, but either way thats most likely it. Sorry about posting @ this comment so late, I just looked at this today so it was the first thin I thought of. Well, good luck gettin to the bottom of this.
My freaky story: I was 19 at the time. I'd been out until around 2:30 in the morning with friends, and came home to nothing out of the ordinary. I had no idea that someone had already broken into the house via the basement window across from my room. I went to bed and when I got up the next morning I couldn't find my car keys or my sneakers, and my folks weren't home so I was really puzzled. When they got back from getting coffee they I asked them if they'd seen my stuff, and they said no, but they wanted to know who my friend was. So I asked them "What friend?" And they were like "Ha ha, very funny. Seriously, who was it?" So I pointed out that any time I brought friends home, I always woke them up to let them know. (I tended to bring kids who were having trouble at home over to spend the night). So I get the story out of them that dad got up at 730 in the morning and came out to watch TV. There was a scruffy looking guy (totally filthy) sleeping on the couch. My dad put the news on with low volume and watched for a few minutes, and then the guy sat up and looked confused. My dad said good morning to him, and the guy just stared at him. He was going to offer the guy coffee but buddy got up and went downstairs. Dad thought he was going to get me up, but the guy went out the front door. So hearing this I start looking around. The room under construction across from mine had the window removed and there were foot indentations in the insulation under the window. The butcher knife dad had been using to cut the insulation was no longer on top of the water heater. As far as I could tell I was still only missing my keys and sneakers. But he'd also raided the fridge and left half eaten food on the counter. The couch was completely filthy where he'd slept. The butcher knife was also tucked underneath the couch. So my dad was quite lucky the guy wasn't violent. The cops thought I had arranged to have someone break into our house. I guess because a pair of beat up New Balance sneakers was in high demand. I didn't find out until the next year that they had finally found out that it was a homeless guy from Western Canada who was breaking into houses to get necessities or shelter. People still think it's too weird to be true if I tell them the story
Last year (I was 14) I heard a noise from downstairs as I was getting to bed... Long story short I stabbed my cat
