Reoccurring Thief How to Catch him?

[aplusmnt]

A few months ago we bought 5 acres across the road were an old Crank house burned years ago, before we ever moved out here. All there is on the 5 acres is a couple old buildings. The property is directly at the end of our driveway (1/4 mile long).

I thought I would put some junk in them buildings, stuff that if it did get stolen I would not cry, but have hard time hauling to the dump.

3 times now since we bought it we have had stuff stolen. Total value of $200.00 but since they have kept coming back.

I am out to catch them!!! I am sure they come at night, twice the stuff they stole was sitting outside, Once it was a Junk lawnmower I just kept for parts.

Thinking of setting a push mower out in yard maybe half mowed like it ran out of gas. And then stake the place out.

Now to get to the point, any suggestions on how to detain or punish the thief with out myself going to jail?

Will for sure have guns during the stake out. I know I can not shoot them, but surely I can use force to detain them until sheriff arrives.

Anyone been in this situation? Also wondering about night camera's but afraid they would not take good enough picture to tell who it was.

 

[chrisy]

I know it isn't the principle of the matter, but you said it was junk and wouldn't cry if it was stollen....so aren't these thieves doing you a favour by taking your junk, as you haven't got to haul it to the junk yard, and stopping you from being fined for fly tipping, as it is not your property you have been storing this junk on. It could be theirs and it is working the other way around...they may be out looking for who is putting it there. and waiting to catch you. If it was an old Crack house be careful cause those people carry guns and don't seem to care about using them.

 

[Ryder]

Aplus, it might be a good thing to have somebody else with you. To help you out if necessary, but most important to be a witness for you if you ever need one.
On second thought, if it were me I would probably rather there not be any witnesses. ;-) Then you don't have to share your thermos of coffee.

I have been told that severe flogging can be effective. But I would not personally know anything about such matters.
I have also known of a couple of cases where shooting a loud gun into the air caused petty sneak thieves to skeedaddle and never return. But these were on foot. If they come up in a vehicle the situation would not be the same unless it was before they got out of the vehicle.

 

[aplusmnt]

I know it isn't the principle of the matter, but you said it was junk and wouldn't cry if it was stollen....so aren't these thieves doing you a favour by taking your junk, as you haven't got to haul it to the junk yard, and stopping you from being fined for fly tipping, as it is not your property you have been storing this junk on. It could be theirs and it is working the other way around...they may be out looking for who is putting it there. and waiting to catch you. If it was an old Crack house be careful cause those people carry guns and don't seem to care about using them.

I think you misread the first sentence, we bought this property a few months ago. It is my property that they are stealing from. And even though the stuff has little monetary value I will not tolerate a thief. For two reasons, one they need to be stopped because they are a cancer on society, and two if they will steal across the road who is to say they will not one day steal at my actual home 1/4 of a mile away?

I want them to go to jail or be so scared of me that they will not even drive down my road, and god help them if it turns out to be a neighbor (and I suspect it might be one down the road).

If they are stupid enough to do it again I will catch them, even if it cost me the whole summer sitting in the bushes or thousands of dollars on camera's, there butts will be mine!

 

[Ryder]

[quoteI will not tolerate a thief. For two reasons, one they need to be stopped because they are a cancer on society, and two if they will steal across the road who is to say they will not one day steal at my actual home 1/4 of a mile away?

This is the part so many people do not understand in this PC world.
Things were a lot simpler years ago before they had all these laws to hamstring decent citizens and protect the low lifes.

 

[chrisy]

OK, then if they keep coming back and stealing why put it in the outhouses so far away from your homestead. Put it on your property near your home and they might not come back as it is near habitation. Not saying it is right to theave, but as it is not gaurded it is easy pickings and sure they should be punnished for their actions, call the Police first and tell them what has been going on, and they might help you in finding these criminals, without you getting hurt or any body else for that matter that might end up in you going inside.

 

[auctionboy]

If they hear a shotgun go off near them they probobly wont comeback. Bring two friends and have everyone unload.

 

[andybob]

Hide some spikes in the driveway of your proprty, they won't get far with flat tyres, and you might just gain yourself a truck.(Remember the spikes when YOU are driving to your property)

 

[dun]

Have you already notified the sheriff of what's going on? That would be my first step. Then an ifrared motion detection camara works well if you can get it close enough. We had a guy that was breaking into businesses around here and they had pictures of him from one of the trail cammara deals. Problem was he wore a hood over his face.

dun

 

[Caustic Burno]

Aplus set you up one of those fancy game camera's that doesn't flash and get his mug shot. I would also leave a couple of gallons on gas with sugar in it. You will find out what he is driving in a few days. You can bet he knows you and knows you work nights and which ones.

 

[aplusmnt]

Some good ideas! I know I should not be putting stuff over there, and one day I will just use it for hay, hopefully no one will steal that.

I have the luxury in a week of my Son being able to cover most all my schedule at night. I am going to wait one month to let a little time pass, then going to go mow the grass and leave the push mower sitting by the garage.

My thoughts are they will think that we forgot it and only have a short time to come get it. I am hopping to narrow down my stay to a weekend if they are as stupid as I think they are.

If that does not work, then the game Camera will be my next move. Wont even have to leave anything for them to steal because they will be looking in the garage for anything new I bet.

I hate thieves and this one is going to be the one I get to make a example of and get my revenge for all past thefts.

I think they are stealing the stuff for the scrap metal. And we have a suspicious type neighbor that bought a run down trailer house down the road that has asked about an old car that is on property for the metal.

Since I suspect a neighbor that makes me want to catch them for sure, either to know what kind of neighbor I have or to clear my bad thoughts of them.

 

[ROCKSPRINGS]

What ever you do, make sure there is a NO TRESPASSING sign posted.

 

[Susie David]

Just let fly with a load or two of buck shot...tell the law that...yeah, I heard it two. Must be the thieves.
I like the sugar in the gas...could add some diesel or transmission fluid and watch for the somking tail pipe, course these folks probably don't have a rig that doesn't smoke.
DMc

 

[aplusmnt]

Have you already notified the sheriff of what's going on? That would be my first step. Then an infrared motion detection camara works well if you can get it close enough. We had a guy that was breaking into businesses around here and they had pictures of him from one of the trail cammara deals. Problem was he wore a hood over his face.

dun

Dun's right. The Sheriffs Dept might have some suggestions. What you may not have thought of is that they might have guns too and shoot back. Do you want to risk your life or risk taking a life over some junk? The picture idea is a good one and you will then have evidence and you won't have to be there! Catch 'em but be safe!!

I might go ahead and put the wildlife camera up in the mean time, because I think one of them is worth owning anyway, so no downside to doing it.

As for sheriff department and local police. We have had lots of stuff stolen over the years when we lived in town and they never do anything. We even handed them a thief that stole 4 year old sons motorcycle on a silver platter and they did not follow through on it. Recently my older son had his car tag stolen on school ground, we told sheriff that the school has video camera's and we knew the day it was stolen. When talking to the principal he said they never asked for the footage, and he could not give it to us. :x

I would not risk my life over the junk, but for the principle I would. And more than the junk is the thought they might get braver and come up the driveway some day to the house.

Time will tell, maybe the camera will do the job. I might set some gas cans out in front of the camera, it would be worth loosing 5 gallons of gas to get a snap shot of them.

 

[aplusmnt]

What I would really love to do is hook a electric fence charger up to something metal and get a nice picture of them getting the pee shocked out of them :lol: But I know I would be setting myself up for liability here

 

[cattlemom]

aplus,

A guy near us had someone who kept breaking into his shed. He rigged some kind of contraption up on the door that snapped and broke the theif's finger. When he started screaming it woke the guy up and he was able to catch the theif - the kicker is it was his brother in law....

In another case nearby a cattleman kept losing baby calves from his field. He set up camp one night in an old shed on his place. He alerted the theives when they showed up and they went for the gun in their gun rack. He shot first and killed the guy with a shotgun. The jury acquitted him b/c he was trying to protect his means to make a living.

 

[Lammie]

aplus,

A guy near us had someone who kept breaking into his shed. He rigged some kind of contraption up on the door that snapped and broke the theif's finger. When he started screaming it woke the guy up and he was able to catch the theif - the kicker is it was his brother in law....

In another case nearby a cattleman kept losing baby calves from his field. He set up camp one night in an old shed on his place. He alerted the theives when they showed up and they went for the gun in their gun rack. He shot first and killed the guy with a shotgun. The jury acquitted him b/c he was trying to protect his means to make a living.

I am suprised that something like that would even come to trial. Especially if he thought his own life was in danger.

Aplus, what are the laws in Kansas about the means you can take to protect your property? Just curious. I would be madder than be nice if I were you. I hate a thief!

 

[aplusmnt]

aplus,

A guy near us had someone who kept breaking into his shed. He rigged some kind of contraption up on the door that snapped and broke the theif's finger. When he started screaming it woke the guy up and he was able to catch the theif - the kicker is it was his brother in law....

In another case nearby a cattleman kept losing baby calves from his field. He set up camp one night in an old shed on his place. He alerted the theives when they showed up and they went for the gun in their gun rack. He shot first and killed the guy with a shotgun. The jury acquitted him b/c he was trying to protect his means to make a living.

I am suprised that something like that would even come to trial. Especially if he thought his own life was in danger.

Aplus, what are the laws in Kansas about the means you can take to protect your property? Just curious. I would be madder than be nice if I were you. I hate a thief!

Not really sure about the laws. I just always figured you better make sure they are in your house before you shoot but not really sure how liberal they are in property protection. I am going to start looking it up.

 

[Gate Opener]

Better hide that camera real good or they will steal that also. :roll:

I wouldn't tell anybody other than maybe the law what your plans are as you never know who might tell and it get back to the thief.

Hope you catch them. I hate a thief also.

 

[mdmdogs3]

make sure that any trail cam you get is digital
I wouldn't have wanted to pay for all of the pictures that we have of me, the roof of the truck, the dog, the ground, etc

worth the extra cost of the digital to not develop these pictures!