41 replies to this topic

[MAS46]

Before starting, and in response to why the thieves were in our home, or at the gate for three hours. It is a large home, on three floors. The intruders went through every drawer and cupboard, ate food, cookies and chocolates, before encountering an old safe on one of the lower floors, which they spent some time trying to break into.



@ferret, I appreciate your comments. The main focus of the Raquet Club BOD has been to under report crime, presumably in order to keep property values high. All that glitters is not gold. The cameras were great but not infallible. Masks, gloves and some cameras disabled by the thieves were a problem in this case.

@Seewee, your comments are received and respected. If you live in the Raquet Club your information may be lacking. The night patrols are spotty at best. At times when I have been ill and up at night, I have seen no evidence at all of patrols. I understand that the guards are not armed, which is why we informed them in both Spanish and English that the intruders were armed and shots fired. The question about thieves being in the house for 3 hours is explained above for the benefit of all readers. My dogs are well disciplined and did not alert us until the intruders were close to our bedroom door. If you have other valid questions, we are currently working on a video of the event for both Lakeside Crime, and the police. This is an expensive endeavor for us, however will prove to be of great benefit to the greater community lakeside. Could you provide evidence that this was an isolated incident since I would like to know the source of that information. It might help us sleep better at night. BTW the Raquet Club recently bought a new four wheeler at a cost of 93,670 pesos.
@Intercasa, I have reviewed the camera footage. It appears that 3 or possibly four entered on foot. No cars were visible.
@Whitey, I assume total responsibility for security at my home. We had a mediocre electric fence which has since been replaced with a 30,000 volt fence and alarm system. As explained above, the dogs alerted us at the bedroom door, one of the pugs attacked the thieves. Our phone line was cut, electricity ground cut at the mains, and 3 cameras disabled.
@Manny, I am not stressed, however I am extremely pi**** off. I appreciate your comments about respect. This is an important issue for me and for that reason I do not often post here. Feel free to request additional information which you feel may be relevant.
@Helper Guy, thanks for your support, hope all is well with you.
@Atlas, all information will be provided to Lakeside Crime, police and the Ministerio Público. It has been a challenge to edit footage from eight cameras as well as fortifying our home, plus other activities.


To everyone else who has commented on this thread, thank you for all your input, both positive and negative. I have posted this information as a public service to the community as a whole, as I am fully aware of frustration regarding safety issues.


I would also like to thank some of our expat neighbors, and "many" of our Mexican friends for their support during our time of need.


Muchas Gracias.

[MAS46]

bump

[Canookie]

MAS46...what an awful experience. I think the naysayers are actually fearful for their own safety and It's easier to blame or question the victim than to admit something like this can easily happen to them - security or not, dogs or not, targeted or random...admit it - we're all at risk living in a place where people are desperate and gringos have everything they think they want. It's a reality folks, get used to it. Candy

[GmaGoldilocks]

speculation: were the guards involved? did they look the other way?

I know I'm just an old granny from Arkansas with poor eyesight -- at my age you will too -- but even I know that one of the things about gated communities that always has bothered me is that the gate is only on one side. Especially out there in the Raquet, threre's "unsecured land all around the whole place -- ya could walk right in from all directions. I learned a long time ago back in the hillls not to always suspect the good guys when something goes wrong.

[manny]

why did it take the guards 45 minutes to respond? they should have called police & responded immediately. thats why i question their involvement. these large gated places never appealed to me.

[manny]

it occurred to me, the criminals in this case got what they deserved. they came in to hurt people & steal. instead they got horrible injuries. were unable to find $, unable to steal anything. they worked for 3 hours trying to open a safe, then got caught when they were about to do the big one. they ate some chocolates, then maybe ended up @ the red cross. anyone who rationalizes this, blames poverty, should think about the victims. & what could have happened. they came in to kill if they had too. there have been a zillion break ins for years here. most took place when the residents were on vacation or out for the day. "these" were cold blooded criminals. i not interested in mexico & job programs. sorry, these types would be the same anywhere in the world. respect the victims, dont think of the criminals.

[Whitey]

I still would like to know how they gained entrance to your home! Please, this is an important part of this horrible story!

[GeorgiaPeach]

I still would like to know how they gained entrance to your home! Please, this is an important part of this horrible story!

Yes, getting as much information to residents is key to security. The more information given to people the better they can protect themselves. Chapala Haciendas doesn't seem to give us any information. We have to learn from other neighbors or directly from the residents that have been attacked or robbed. After living here for the past several years we have learned that we take care of ourselves and not to depend on CH. It's a shame that the CH BOD has not yet learned that passing on information is a form of security, and does not cost a penny.

I want to thank the OP for the information that was given.

[MAS46]

Whitey'
Entrance was gained by climbing on garage roof at nw corner of garage
where phone & ground were cut. They then entered garage from roof access
door & took extension cords & returned to roof of house. They fashioned a
rope from cords & rappeled from roof to veranda ( 3rd floor from house rear
1st. floor from street level). They then entered house from locked veranda door. They
exited house by breakin out a glass door on lower floor. We have now put
high voltage dc fence around total perimiter of house to prevent a reoccurence of incident.
The entry info is not on camera because of camera location. No keys were used to gain entry.
Access door on roof has been modified to prevent entry.

[Sheldon]

That is why we prefer to buy furniture with hidden drawers intead of a safe. This way, even if the thieves open the drawers, the jewelry and valuables or documents are hidden. The thieves never will find them......

[Whitey]

Thank you for sharing the information regarding access to your home. I am so very sorry that this happened to you but am glad that you were not physically hurt. It would sound to me that your home was targeted - this seems to have been very well planned.
Perhaps a maid or other person shared information - I guess it's a lesson to us all that our homes now require us to ensure all doors and windows, skylights, etc are secured with solid welded iron. Alarms, cameras, fences are ok but by that time they're already in!
Also to Georgia Peach - I too live in CH - you continue to slam the BOD. Information is gathered and shared by way of email and is posted on the CH web site. CH is a unique fracc, having many entrance and exit points. Not much to be done in ways to secure the fracc - information was sent out many times about forming Neighborhood Watch Groups. It is up to each individual property owner to take a close look at our properties and look for ways to tighten security. Information sharing is a great tool in keeping us all on our toes and I want to personally thank the OP for taking the time to do so here.
Stay Safe Everyone!

[manny]

questions: 1) how did you secure (modify) the roof door? 2) did they pick the veranda door lock, or take the entire thing off? have you made changes for the veranda door?

[econ man]

I'm a bit confused; OP says they spent hours trying to open a safe; since they were armed with guns, did they threaten owners with guns to open the safe? Did they succeed in getting the safe open? Did they take anything, money,computers, electronics or other stuff?

[MAS46]

Veranda door was glass slider & lock was manipulated to be opened. Never considered it to be
prolem as it is on 3rd level of property. All doors are now locked & blocked. Roof door now
has steel bars.Safe was an old unused safe with no valuables. Owners were not threatened as they never obtained entry to bedroom. Attempted to steal I-pad, tools , electric tools & miscellaneous.
Nothing appears to have been taken as it was left in shopping bag in livingroom when dog attacked.

[manny]

the report said they fired a shot & missed. you were in your bedroom w/door closed? i hope so!

[MAS46]

Shots were fired in l-r as I attempted to get dog back to b-r & as robbers were crossing
fence.At least 2 guns 1 a 22 short & the other larger caliber or shell.

[manny]

unbelievable. they fired out of anger. or maybe so seriously injured that it was a reaction. a dangerous encounter never the less. they came they had their cookies their chocolates, left w/nothing. they most likely had many stitches & were in the emergency room. i wonder if the investigators would check that. maybe the mayors office can help push this for an arrest. keep us posted.

[HelperGuy]

Manny, why do you keep talking about how beat up the robbers were? I don't recall seeing anything suggesting that, except in your posts.

[manny]

helper reread the original posts by the victim. its all there. my last point is very important. in the USA all the hospitals & red crosses would be cross exmained & records searched. before jumping on me, RE read the reports!