What's the most exciting experience with your STR or VR this year

[Paul Sandhu]

I drive by one of my STR's on my way to work every morning. I can see the back yard and the back porch. I leave the porch light on. Wednesday morning the porch light was off. My wife noticed it too. She went in to investigate and saw a q-tip on the floor and the medicine cabinet open. She told me about it so I went in there Thursday evening. Front door was locked, but the HDTV, Roku, cable box, modem and 39 gallon plastic trash can were gone. A big mirror that was over the fireplace was by the back door, along with some small kitchen appliances. I figured someone had a key and let themselves in. The back porch light was unscrewed. I screwed it back in. I contacted the cable company to get the serial numbers of some of the electronics.

This morning I drove by and decided to take another look inside.  I unlocked the knob, but the deadbolt is locked.  I didn't lock it. I unlock the deadbolt and push the door open with additional effort.  There were some sections of 2x4 that were bracing the door shut.  I picked one up and walked through the house, with the 2x4 ready to swing.  A door to a bedroom that I left open was now shut, and there was another 2x4 that was bracing the back door shut.  I thought there were 2 possibilities:

1. Someone entered the house and braced both doors, then left through a window.

2. Someone entered the house and braced both doors, and is still in the house.

The police department is 4 blocks away. The first unit arrived in 90 seconds, the second arrived 30 seconds after that.  I explained what happened the night before, and how today both entry doors were braced shut.  They drew their guns and flashlights then went in the house yelling "Coffeyville Police! Identify yourself!"  A minute later I hear more shouting, it sounded like "Get on the ground!"  A minute later they are escorting a handcuffed person to the back of their car, then they invite me in.  He was sleeping in a bedroom, and they were going through his duffel bag.  They found a sufficient quantity of meth to qualify as intent to distribute, plus clothes, lottery tickets, soap, shampoo and other personal items.

He didn't have a key.  He broke open the back door window wide enough to stick his arm through and unlock the door knob from the inside.

That's my story.

On the refrigerator there was a flyer with pictures of my other houses.  But that flyer is now gone.  I'm concerned that this meth head gave the flyer to other meth heads.