OT: Sleuths, Retirees and Busybodies: SUSPICIOUS CAR!

[Angelfish]

Let’s pretend I live in an old neighborhood that once was on the outside of town, but has since been surrounded by urban sprawl and has become a quiet oasis in the urban landscape.   The gravel street is a loop and does not lead anywhere else.   If you’re in here, you’re a resident, a visitor, or lost.  Or in the more recent years, a criminal.  The house across the street was broken into last year.  Could have just as easily been mine. 
 

So we keep an eye out for cars we don’t recognize.  Today a black Cadillac Eldorado stopped in front of our house on the opposite side of the street.   There is a fence right next to the street so there’s really no room to park, just stop on the street.  A guy in pajamas and a teenage girl get out and open the trunk.  This is 12:30 in the afternoon, broad daylight, as they say.  
 

The girl grabs a Milwaukee tool backpack and a Bosch tool box that was probably a jigsaw.  Both of these look new.  She tried unsuccessfully to stuff the Bosch box into the backpack.  The guy gets back in the car and drives off.  The girl starts walking down the street the same direction as the car and carrying the tools.   She walks past six houses before we lose sight of her.    Ten minutes or so later, she’s walking back this direction, and while walking she stuffs the Bosch box into the backpack.   She walks past the point she was dropped off and turns the corner.   
 

I’m on a corner lot so I have gravel street on two sides with front and back entrances to the property.   I take a walk out back and discover that the black Cadillac is parked near my back gate, which is always open.   The door of the car is cracked open so I walk over to it.  There are two guys in the front but the windows are so dark I can’t see if the girl or anyone else is in the back.   I ask if he need any help, they ask if this is Echo, which it is, and explain that they’re looking for their buddy’s place.  Then he says “I don’t want my daughter walking around like a dumb***.”  and the gold chain wearing passenger says, “thank you for your hospitality.”

 

By the time I’m back in the house they have driven up, turned around and are exiting the neighborhood.

 

SO, all you logical people: what the heck just happened?

Edited June 2 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[Rod P]

Out collecting catalytic converters for the needy?

[Larry Schramm]

I would have probably called 911 and gotten the license plate number.  Cell phone pictures also come in handy when talking to the police.

Edited June 2 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Terry Bond]

"Lets pretend" this is somehow antique car related and maybe it'll still be up this time tomorrow.

Terry

[Angelfish]

1 hour ago, Rod P said:

Out collecting catalytic converters for the needy?

And thats another thing.  There’s always a clapped out Ford Tempo with a trunk load of cats whenever I haul the scrap metal to recycle.

49 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said:

I would have probably called 911 and gotten the license plate number.  Cell phone pictures also come in handy when talking to the police.

I have a picture of the car, no license plate.  Didn’t call 911, I hope they have better things to worry about.

28 minutes ago, Terry Bond said:

"Lets pretend" this is somehow antique car related and maybe it'll still be up this time tomorrow.

Terry

The suspicious car was a mid 90s Eldorado, it qualifies.  
 

Like this one but with dark tinted windows and a colorful history of white trash owners.  

 

Edited June 2 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[Grimy]

Our (good) neighborhood has had a significant increase in casing activity with some car break-ins and thefts.  My lady friend caught one guy who had already broken off my trailer's escape door handle and was taking a chisel to the key slot on my truck's driver door.  She photographed the license plate, which we found a few months later on a truck in the next block!  We have seen a number of pedestrians and bicyclists who "stop to rest" and immediately get on their phones--probably to report a vulnerability to confederates in autos or trucks.  We are active in two neighborhood watch groups.

[3macboys]

2 hours ago, Angelfish said:

A guy in pajamas and a teenage girl get out and open the trunk.  This is 12:30 in the afternoon, broad daylight, as they say.  

PJ's at 12:30 pm - you sure this was on a public street and not a WalMart parking lot?

[Peter J.Heizmann]

1 hour ago, Terry Bond said:

"Lets pretend" this is somehow antique car related and maybe it'll still be up this time tomorrow.

Terry

Ironically, Terry that recently there is a post questioning why the forum is slow this time of year.  Angelfish gave some of the reasons with the nonsense he just posted.

[Larry Schramm]

In the Detroit area we are having burglar gangs from Chile targeting homes in nicer areas.  Usually homes in nice subs backing up to natural areas.

 

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/sheriff-chilean-gangs-are-back-targeting-high-end-homes-for-burglaries-in-oakland-county

 

https://www.police1.com/organized-crime/mich-le-agencies-brace-for-more-burglaries-by-south-american-crime-tourists

 

I am on the HOA for our sub and I would report anything out of the ordinary.  Just common sense in my world.

 

PS: And I do not live in one of those homes that the reports are talking about.

[CarNucopia]

Given the context of this thread: maybe it's a good time to consider if having your full name, along with a list of valuable possessions, as part of your signature is a good idea?

Edited June 3 by CarNucopia (see edit history)

[zepher]

I would have gone to 'talk' to these miscreants with a very large caliber firearm. 

Let them know in no uncertain terms they are not welcome in the area.

[TAKerry]

14 hours ago, Terry Bond said:

"Lets pretend" this is somehow antique car related and maybe it'll still be up this time tomorrow.

Terry

While I can agree that there should be a level of concern, I have to agree with Terry on this one. Sounds like a good post for you local FB page to me.

[8E45E]

14 hours ago, Grimy said:

Our (good) neighborhood has had a significant increase in casing activity with some car break-ins and thefts.  My lady friend caught one guy who had already broken off my trailer's escape door handle and was taking a chisel to the key slot on my truck's driver door.  She photographed the license plate, which we found a few months later on a truck in the next block!  We have seen a number of pedestrians and bicyclists who "stop to rest" and immediately get on their phones--probably to report a vulnerability to confederates in autos or trucks.  We are active in two neighborhood watch groups.

About two years ago, I caught a scruffy looking individual taking iphone photos of my daily driver F150 parked outside my house.  I quickly ran inside and grabbed my phone and then saw him taking photos of my neighbor's older F150.  I asked him why he was taking photos of cars and trucks up and down the back alley, and he replied, "I like cars and trucks".  I immediately took his photo with my phone, and after he left, texted my neighbors with his photo to make them aware of his activity.  So far he has not been seen around since.

 

Craig

Edited June 3 by 8E45E (see edit history)