The Seattle house my sister rents with her boyfriend was broken into by thieves on Friday evening. Neither my sister nor her boyfriend were home. The thieves entered by breaking the glass on the door to their bedroom balcony. They took all my sister's jewelry. They rifled through her underwear drawer. They went downstairs, and took her boyfriend's laptop. At this point, my sister believes she actually interrupted the burglary in progress by arriving home from a book reading she had attended with her friend. She believes the thieves heard her arriving home, went back upstairs, and exited the way they had entered.
My sister did not hear or suspect anything was remiss. The front door was locked when she returned home. Other than her boyfriend's laptop, nothing was missing from the main floor of the house, which is full of electronic equipment (my sister's laptop, two high-end digital cameras, an entire wall of DVDs and CDs, a DVD player, stereo, tv, etc.). This is why she suspects she arrived home while the thieves were still inside. She only knew something was wrong when she heard one of her cats meowing to enter the house at the front door. Her cats are strictly indoor, and are never allowed outside. Stoli, the kitty, had escaped from the smashed door on the second floor.
Inside my sister's jewelry boxes was costume jewelry of little monetary value. She doesn't own diamonds, or gold necklaces, or anything a thief could make any money from. Of course they didn't know that. But also inside her jewelry boxes were items that cannot be replaced: a letter my mom had written to my sister during my sister's first year of life and given to my sister on her 16th birthday (I have an identical letter my mom wrote to me in my first year). Palms my grandfather had shaped into baskets and crosses and other intricate designs and given to members of his family on Palm Sunday through the years. The mass card from my grandfather's funeral. Items which have no value whatsoever to anyone but my sister, but items which can also never be replaced.
My sister is terrified. She is afraid to leave her house and her belongings now, since the thieves know now what they missed on the first level of her house. She and her boyfriend packed up everything of value and are storing it at a friend's house. They are moving at the end of the month to a much safer neighborhood (the neighborhood they live in now is on the border of a pretty sketchy area).
She feels completely violated. The thieves rifled through her drawers, and threw her clothes all around her bedroom. She feels sick about what could have happened to her cat who escaped through the smashed glass door, had she not returned home.
I've never been the victim of a crime. I can't even begin to imagine what she's feeling. How do you even begin to feel safe in your own home again? How do you replace those intangible things the thieves have stolen?
My sister did not hear or suspect anything was remiss. The front door was locked when she returned home. Other than her boyfriend's laptop, nothing was missing from the main floor of the house, which is full of electronic equipment (my sister's laptop, two high-end digital cameras, an entire wall of DVDs and CDs, a DVD player, stereo, tv, etc.). This is why she suspects she arrived home while the thieves were still inside. She only knew something was wrong when she heard one of her cats meowing to enter the house at the front door. Her cats are strictly indoor, and are never allowed outside. Stoli, the kitty, had escaped from the smashed door on the second floor.
Inside my sister's jewelry boxes was costume jewelry of little monetary value. She doesn't own diamonds, or gold necklaces, or anything a thief could make any money from. Of course they didn't know that. But also inside her jewelry boxes were items that cannot be replaced: a letter my mom had written to my sister during my sister's first year of life and given to my sister on her 16th birthday (I have an identical letter my mom wrote to me in my first year). Palms my grandfather had shaped into baskets and crosses and other intricate designs and given to members of his family on Palm Sunday through the years. The mass card from my grandfather's funeral. Items which have no value whatsoever to anyone but my sister, but items which can also never be replaced.
My sister is terrified. She is afraid to leave her house and her belongings now, since the thieves know now what they missed on the first level of her house. She and her boyfriend packed up everything of value and are storing it at a friend's house. They are moving at the end of the month to a much safer neighborhood (the neighborhood they live in now is on the border of a pretty sketchy area).
She feels completely violated. The thieves rifled through her drawers, and threw her clothes all around her bedroom. She feels sick about what could have happened to her cat who escaped through the smashed glass door, had she not returned home.
I've never been the victim of a crime. I can't even begin to imagine what she's feeling. How do you even begin to feel safe in your own home again? How do you replace those intangible things the thieves have stolen?
That's terrible, Kristi... Good timing that they're moving. Of course you never can replace those things. Creepy thugs. Thankfully your sister is OK!
That's terrible, Kristi... Good timing that they're moving. Of course you never can replace those things. Creepy thugs. Thankfully your sister is OK!
I'm so glad your sister, her boyfriend and her cats weren't hurt. I can't imagine losing such precious and meaningful momentos. It's impossible to understand how anyone can be so selfish as to steal such things. I hope your sister will feel safe and comfortable once again after they move.
Marie-They're moving because of what happened. They didn't plan on moving before, but now I am so glad they are.
Geekwif-Thanks for your kind words. I can't imagine invading someone's world like that either. The world is truly filled with scary people.
Alisha-That's a good idea. She feels completely violated, and I hope she can talking it through with a professional can definitely help.
Keep up the good work »
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