CSI: At the Salmon home

So I was sitting down in Columbia, SC on the morning of January 30th having breakfast in a hotel and Loraine gives me a call. She tells me that she was just letting me know that my debit card and all my credit cards have been cancelled along with our bank accounts. Also Sara's and Nathans debit cards and bank accounts as well. Obviously I am very concerned about what actually happened and Loraine tells me somebody hurled a rock through the drivers side window of her van in the night and took her purse that was between the seats. I knew it was a huge purse that can hold a lot of stuff but did not know that it did have everything. When I asked for more details she simply said " Oh I gotta go as the police are here". I was to find out more when I arrive home...

So I arrive home midday on Friday and the car is already repaired and the only evidence of the crime is the large rock, still in the car and the shop vac full of glass pieces. Nothing worth taking a picture of except maybe the rock. I also learn the police did not want to do any finger prints on the van or on the rock and figure they have no leads and expect to not solve the crime hmm...television makes CSI seem so exciting, sophisticated and always able to find the person in about 40 minutes or less. Now I know more details...

About midnight on January 29th somebody saw Loraines' purse in her van while it was parked in our driveway and decided they wanted it real bad. One or more persons (probably just one as it was not that big) threw a large rock through the driver side window shattering the glass all over the front seats, dashboard and every little compartment a small piece of glass could travel. Loraine thought she heard a noise around midnight and woke up but heard nothing further so she went back to sleep. When she went out to get in the van to go to work it was apparent that we had uninvited visitors that didn't clean up after themselves. She just walked into the house and started calling our banks and credit card companies canceling all the cards and accounts. She then called 911 and the p0lice arrived in 15 minutes to investigate the crime. The police told Loraine that desperate times call for desperate measures and they have seen a lot more crime recently with higher unemployment rates. He figured it was someone in our own neighborhood that did the crime and since we have a fence-less yard that is a pass-through between streets he suggested we put up a high secure fence. We now need to get approval for a fence from the Home Owners Assoc and I am not sure they will approve the foot high razor-wire I want along the top. The real hassle was canceling all the accounts and cards and those direct withdrawal items that need attention. When we went to the bank we learned that Loraines card was used 4 times in 15 minutes at two gas stations for gas purchases..hmm.. that is a lot of gas or gas for 4 buddies which if they were on foot are also running around with large gas cans but they likely have vehicles and need gas for their next crimes. I know they did not get much for cash except a purple $10 Canadian bill and a few US ones. We did a little of our own CSI and visited both gas stations and looked for the purse in the garbage and asked the attendants about their cameras (which they both do not have) and the actual transactions. The case has already gone cold. I know if I was home I would have woken up since leaves falling to the ground wake me up (ya that is a little extreme on the exaggeration but I am very light sleeper) but Loraine pointed out I might have gotten mugged as I chased them down the road - now that I know it was 4 tanks of gas the chances of a one on one confrontation was not likely. I also have been looking at cameras for the exterior of the house and if I get something it has to be better then those terrible low resolution b/w ones you see on television news where you can barely tell the escaping criminal is something running on its hind legs and they expect you to call CrimeStoppers if you know anything.

I asked Loraine why the rock is still in the car and she told me that it is a reminder for her to remove her purse from the car when she parks it.