35 minutes from Theft to Arrest!

[Hoof Hearted]

Neighbors 2 houses north of us noticed a man walking along our rural road when their two dogs ran out to bark at him. The two teenage boys went to collect their dogs and apologize. Meanwhile, our neighbor 4 houses south of us drove past on his way home and noticed the man/boys/dogs. He (Mark) also observed that we must be home (we were, hubby, his sis and me) because our garage door was up. He pulls into his driveway and gets a snack and a beer and returns to his front patio area to relax and have a ciggie. Then a few minutes later, he observes the man he saw just a few minutes earlier enter the house next to him (3 houses south of us) carrying a weedeater. Didn't have one earlier when he passed him...

He called us and spoke with Kenny, asking if our weedeater was missing. Kenny checked the garage and it was. Then Mark explained what he'd seen and I called 911 and waited for deputies. Meanwhile, Vigilante Husband takes my Corvette (because his Jeep wouldn't start) and drives the 4 houses down to see Mark. Then he drives past to go talk to the teenage neighbor boys and returns to our driveway because Bro-in-law has returned from work and then they BOTH go back to Marks to await the Deputies to flag them down.

Deputy arrives, one I worked with at the Sheriff Office several years ago and she approaches the house and asks for the man. The girl/young woman who answers says no one is home...but B-in-law had heard people rumaging around inside and was waiting out behind the house in case anyone ran. Another neighbor (5 houses south, ret. Marines) was further out in the woods with his German Shepard, a trained (and retired) attack dog, very well behaved. Intent when his handler told him to "watch 'em". Deputy finally gets the man to approach the door and he brings the weedeater thinking he can cut a deal by giving it up immediately, but when he learns he is going to jail, she had to drag him out and cuff him. Three other officers arrive as backup shortly after.

Furthest neighbors 3 houses north were driving by and flagged down by Kenny and asked to go pick up me and collect the two teenagers and bring us back to answer Officer's questions. I recognized the lady Deputy and one of the other Deputies from when I worked at the Sheriff Office some years ago. They also recognized me and asked after my health. (I'm still yellow from jaundice and it is obvious something is wrong with my health)

By this time, we have a whole passel of people (12-15) 'watching' the show, in the yard and across the street. I knew everyone there as they are our neighbors and we all watch out for each other. Officers approached the man in the backseat of the patrol car and he must have smarted off because they got agitated and one officer reached for his belt area and released a small burst of mace accidentally. I was directly downwind and my throat started to close and Kenny carried me further up the yard to fresh air. He was coughing, too.

Next thing I know, Officers (the 3 men) have dragged the man out of the backseat and dumped him on his head in the yard. They spoke on the ground for a bit and then slipped him back in the car. Only a minute goes by and then I see them dragging him out the other side and they maced him as they slapped him on the ground, twisted his legs up and sat on them while they got chains to attach a short length from his ankles to his belt to get him properly hog-tied.

He had tried to kick out a window, he did push it out a bit and a photo was taken of the damage. While he was on the ground getting trussed, the girl at the house came across the yards and he yelled at her to "Get back in the house! Do you went to go to jail too, Stupid?!" Just about this time, my neighbor who brought me and the teenagers up commented loudly and laughingly out his truck window that the guy must be a 'crack-head' and the girl overheard and made a comment about judging people and my B-in-law overheard her and told her they were thieves in that house and to mind her business about judging people in light of the facts and to go back to the house. She began to make a retort, but the lady Deputy stepped up and told her she better get back to the house unless she wanted to be in cuffs, too.

All in all, a very exciting evening for the neighborhood.
That particular house was busted a few weeks ago with three arrests made. The house is owned by an older alcoholic man who allows his son to live there. These are the only neighbors no one is friendly with. They have a steady stream of people/vehicles at all hours of the day/night, I'm certain the bust was for drug dealing. They also had deputies combing the woods a few weeks ago when officers tried to serve a warrant and the person ran out the back into the woods. Now this, yesterday.

It was exciting to see the action, have the crowd of people cheering on the officers and Hubby grinning at me and saying; "I think I've seen this episode!"

Bad boys, bad boys. Whatcha gonna do? Watcha gonna do when the Sheriff come 'round for you? Bad boys, bad boys.

It pays to have good relations with your neighbors.
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