I just got robbed

rafael

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
1,633
28
48
61
www.dr-tourist.tv
Boy am I bummed out. I was asleep in the
second bedroom, and my novia was sleeping in the main bedroom with her son.

Then I heard a man's voice say vamanos and my door shut. I went into the hall and my novia asked if thet was me talking etc.
Obviously it wasn't. They got my laptop which besides costing 2k to replace has all my important stuff on it. Video clips, web site stuff etc etc etc. My $600 samsung cell phone and also a sony camcorder worth about 2k. They also took the laptop bag which had all my credit cards etc. I just reported them stolen.

In the living room was a DVD player, small crappy TV and a Nintendo Game Cube, which they walked right by, heading to my bedroom for the laptop etc.


It will be fun figuring out how to get a new card sent down here etc.

Hopefully my novia has learned to sleep with the bedroom door locked. All the valuable stuff is always in the bedroom.

At least nobody got hurt. They appear to have entered through the main entrance of the apt building. Then the windows in the stairwells were all opened. They climbed down onto my balcony and entered through the sliding glass doors.

One of the doors no longer locks. I need to call the buildings management and see what they will do for security. The main entrance is always locked and people need to be buzzed in, but that door sometimes doesn't close properly unless you pull on it. Evidently one of the neighbors didn't pull it hard enough.


So. . . .both Jan and I have been robbed in the past few weeks. Not a good sign.
 

rafael

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
1,633
28
48
61
www.dr-tourist.tv
I live a few blocks off the Malecon. In between Gazcue and zona colonial.
I guess it is ciudad nueva.

We just moved in though. Brand new building. They haven't even finished the 4th floor "penthouse" yet.


I am not sure moving is an option. . . ..we'll see.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
Rafael, I am sorry to hear that you were robbed in your own house while sleeping. Its a terrifying experience to know that you could have been hurt because these scums have no respect for someone's life.
On the other note, I am curious to know how these robbers knew what you had in the house and where? Seems to me they knew exactly what they were after and knew exactly where it was placed in the house. I wonder what type of people frequent your house? Could it be someone that was invited to your house on some occasion? Could it be a workers ex: electrician, plumber, relative, some handy man off the street?????
In many cases (in DR) people who rob your house in a manner that you have described are the same ones that you might have invited in your house some time back. They could be some people that you actually know and live near by you.
I would like you to consider everything and don't leave any stone unturned untill you figure out who could be a possible suspect. Then let the police beat the confession out of them.
Have a nice day.
AZB
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
AZB is right. This wasn't a "normal" robbery. The equipment they walked by would have likely satisfied the usual burglar who entered an apartment at night in which people were sleeping unless he intended to protect himself by killing the residents.

Who knew exactly where your computer, etc., would be found? The list can't be long. The accomplice is certain to be on it.

If your balcony sliding doors is a weak point in your personal security, consider closing the doors at night and securing them with, for example, a stick in the track so that the doors can't be opened. Or, if you need to keep them open for ventilation, consider a motion detector. They are inexpensive; Radio Shack is one possible source. They have several inexpensive but effective models that run off batteries.

I don't think moving is called for in this case since it appears that your novia, a friend, or acquaintance set you up for this robbery. Moving won't change that if you continue to be surrounded by the same people.
 

Jan

Bronze
Jan 3, 2002
1,802
473
83
64
Santo Domingo Este
www.colonialzone-dr.com
So sorry to hear

Can't believe it happened to you too. Man, these people sure have balls entering an apartment when theyy know the people are home. And they'er so quiet too.
I still haven't figured out who stole from me. But now I have to keep eveerything closed up. I hate sleeping with the windows closed but I have no choice. Poor Sniffy can't go out on the balcony now unless I open the doors. This really stinks but what can you do?
Sure hope you find who did this to you and hope you can sleep. It was hard for me to sleep the first week. I have things infront of every door and window so atleast if they try to get in I will hear them this time. And it will make it a bit more difficult if I'm not home.
 

tired_boy

Bronze
Dec 4, 2003
700
0
0
45
Last time i was robbed at home, the thiefs got out the cat food and fed the cats for me! Gits

However it does sound like they knew what you had because if they were just opportunists they would have got the first expensive item and ran off happy, bu the fact that they left the games system and took all the other things makes me think they had info.

I hope you get some things back.
 

Talldrink

El Mujeron
Jan 7, 2004
2,209
42
0
I got robbed too.

Im sorry hear that Rafael, I was just there and was robbed myself. I was in a traffic jam and a motorista took my purse from my cousin's lap.

I called American Express and they sent me a card to the Banco Dominicano del Progreso in John F Kenndy Blvd. they did that within 24 hours. The card they give you is a temp until you can get the real one, which could take weeks. You can have the real one delivered to the bank as well, might be better for you, I dont trust the Dominican Mail system for Personal homes.

Since they took my wallet and my passports, I had to get everything new. What helped me a great deal was that I had copies of all my important papers here in the states and I had someone FedEx them to me. If you have no copies of these things, take note and do it, it could save you a lot time, money and big headaches.
 
Oct 13, 2003
2,789
90
48
instagram.com
I am not the only suspicious one

Luckily nobody got hurt.

First thing in my mind upon reading your story, how did they know you had the stuff...

The 'novia and her kid' slept in the other room (with the valuables) and didn't wake up during the robbery but did wake up later when you heard something in the hallway...

What gives with the sleeping arrangements anyway. No way I would let her sleep with the kid in the master bedroom and be relegated to the second one.

Did she give you any reasons why she had to sleep there?

But then again I don't know your situation and don't know if this sleeping arrangement is the norm for you..

Take care and good luck,

MD
 
Dec 9, 2002
819
2
0
It's one of the worst things to be burgled whilst you are asleep in bed, such an invasion. It happened to me about 10 years ago, I had a party in my flat and invited friends and a new neighbour who lived in the flat opposite. I got quite drunk and was out like a light as soon as my last guest left. I got up next morning to find my front door hanging off the hinges and all my valuables missing. The fact that someone had been in my bedroom whilst I was sleeping was the scariest thing. It turned out to be my new neighbour!
 

rafael

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
1,633
28
48
61
www.dr-tourist.tv
Well. . . .we've only been in this place for about a month. No plumbers, handymen etc. There were no computers here until december 17th when I arrived.

Not many visitors in that time. Two gringo buddys and they are both back in the states etc.

However my novia in her naivety picked the second floor apartment rather than the third. The building behind us has a roof that is basically right outside the bedroom window. When the people that live there argue it is like they are in my bedroom! Of course my novia didn't want to walk up an extra flight of stairs where I wouldn't have had this mess out back, plus possibly might have had a somewhat obstructed view of the Malecon etc.

There were a few people listening to rap and hiphop in the building behind us which leads me to think they might be dominican yorkers. Many times if a Dominican Yorker is down here, deportation could have been involved.

As for my novia being in on it, I'd really doubt that. Besides the fact that I trust her, the keyboard on the laptop is broken and she knows that it needs to go to the states to be fixed as it is a no name brand. I took it to compuhelp last week as they specialize in laptop repairs and he could not get a keyboard for it.

Besides that, I was planning on getting a newer, better laptop and the old one would have gone to her any way. Of course it would have went to her after the keyboard was fixed and I got all my important data off of it etc!

They also got her purse with her cedula, house keys and her banking cards etc. Plus a few hundred pesos cash.

Basically they can not even get the laptop to run as the keyboard is broken and if they knew the password they couldn't type it. The charger is here so the are pretty much SOL. Unfortunately so am I!
 

rafael

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
1,633
28
48
61
www.dr-tourist.tv
Merengue dutchie. We were both actually sleeping in the other room. Her son has had a horrible fever and had a nightmare.
She went to calm him down and fell asleep.

She did wake up when the guy was in the room. In the dark she thought it was me doing something with my laptop which is not unusual for me to do at any hour. Thinking it was me, she said que tu haces. . . .the guy grabeed the stuff and walked out the door. As I heard her talking and a guys voice I had gotten up and as I was getting up the door closed. WhenI opened the door into the hallway she said something like "that wasn't you".

I said no. She freaked and said then someone is in the house. At this point she
was scared as crap. I grabbed a large knife and saw the bathroom door was closed. I asked her if she left it closed. Later I realized that I had. I kicked the door open and turned on the light etc. but nobody was there.

Trust me if she was in on it, she could just tell me she was robbed while I am in NY. That would be a lot easier than having guys climbing through the windows onto the balcony etc. On the chance that I would have caught them she knows I would throw a severe hurting on them.

She is also not a new fling. We have been together for almost 2 years. Living together for over a year. My good video camera was very close by and they didn't get that. The one they got has acrappy battery on it's last legs that only works for maybe 10 minutes. They don't have the charger either.

The laptop is also broken and I was going to give it to her anyway so no point in taking that.

The cell phone is useless without the charger. The phone is not sold down here so if these guys were garden variety thiefs they didn't get much of value. They would have been better off with the nintendo and DVD player!

If she was out to roll me, she could have done it long ago and gotten much more etc. All she would have to do would be to buy a bunch of stuff on the Paypal debit card I gave her, and then tell me the card was stolen. Much easier.

She is at the police station filing the report now.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
I am glad you didn't lose much but I have a feeling they might come back for the DVD and the game equipment. I have a feeling that you don't have any metal bars on the windows or a seperate metal door on top of the wooden doors. Those sliding doors are so easy to dismantle, all you do is to lift them up and they are off the tracks.
I suggest you don't go away for a weekend and leave the apartment left alone to the robbers. Put metal bars on the windows, change the sliding doors and then change the girlfriend. hahaha, that was a joke so take it easy man.
I am glad that you really didn't lose anything of priceless value.
have a nice day.
AZB
 

ltsnyder

Bronze
Jun 4, 2003
624
0
16
www.x3ci.com
I hate to say this, but did you advertise your wealth?

Did you leave the premises with your laptop in a obvious laptop bag? Was the placement of your laptop in your room such that some of the neighbors had a clear view of what you had and what you were doing? All you really need to do to get robs is let others know what you have passively just by walking around with it or letting people see it through your window, and if that dosn't do it, talk of how well off you are will do it.

Just covering some basic basis here, there are lot's of people here that feel that if you have wealth there should be no reason to hide it and that the theifs should get it if they try, but they overlook the fact that thier behaivior draws the crime.

Unfortunate what happened, be happy you have your lives and health, in general if you plan to have over 4k of electronics in your place you can't live the poor dominicans open door policy.

-Lee
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
Check the amid's boyfriend

If there is a maid, then her boyfriend did it....

Somebody that was in the house knew that stuff was there...

HB
 

Forbeca

Bronze
Mar 5, 2003
729
2
0
rafael said:
Merengue dutchie. We were both actually sleeping in the other room. Her son has had a horrible fever and had a nightmare.
She went to calm him down and fell asleep.

She did wake up when the guy was in the room. In the dark she thought it was me doing something with my laptop which is not unusual for me to do at any hour. Thinking it was me, she said que tu haces. . . .the guy grabeed the stuff and walked out the door. As I heard her talking and a guys voice I had gotten up and as I was getting up the door closed. WhenI opened the door into the hallway she said something like "that wasn't you".

I said no. She freaked and said then someone is in the house. At this point she
was scared as crap. I grabbed a large knife and saw the bathroom door was closed. I asked her if she left it closed. Later I realized that I had. I kicked the door open and turned on the light etc. but nobody was there.


wow, your girlfriend was very lucky. The instant she spoke to the robber she placed herself in danger. He could of hurt her to keep her quiet. Very unfortunte experience but material things can always be replaced. Be thankful noone was hurt.