Posted on Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 10:39 a.m.
Ann Arbor woman encounters intruder in her home
By AnnArbor.com Staff
An Ann Arbor woman scared off an intruder who apparently entered her residence through an unlocked front door Monday afternoon, police said.
The 20-year-old woman was sitting in her living room in the 600 block of Church Street about 12:15 p.m. when she heard a door open, Ann Arbor police said. She thought it was a roommate but after a few minutes she walked toward the bedroom area. As she turned a corner, a man ran past her, heading for the door, police said.
The suspect yelled at her and ran out the door. Nothing was reported missing.
Police checked the area but did not find the suspect. He was described as a thin, tall, black man in his 20s or 30s, wearing a brightly colored ‘flat billed’ hat.
Comments
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Oct 3, 2012 : 4:46 p.m.
Maybe some cool analysis would help at least lower the level of "anxiety" over this topic. In the end, it's a matter of how well or how poorly we prepare for a potential threat. But in this case, the actual level of potential threat ranges from examples like this (where the resident escaped physical harm) to one where the result is a dead resident. The discussions attending each of the several intruder reports we've seen recently show conclusively that: some people will take extra precautions while others will warn of doom and call for the city to provide added protection. In other words: the end result will be that some people will be prepared and will avoid potentially deadly consequences and others... will not. There are no 100% solutions. Home break-ins have occurred since there have been "homes." Unity is one of nature's best defensive strategies: I have your back, you have mine. An increasingly insular "independent" society undermines that concept. But those who independently build shells (like highly successful turtles) at least are more prepared if they are ever targeted. Having someone (police) to provide added protection works - but there are limits due to cost. Put simply, there are no perfect solutions, only a combination of "good bets" that will, together, provide greatly increased protection against a potential threat we all face. Now what d'ya say: I have your back, do you have mine?
RUKiddingMe
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 10:45 p.m.
It seems like everyone's saying it's common sense to lock your door. You're really not supposed to HAVE to lock your door when you are HOME. In bad neighborhoods, yes (so now, yes, apparently, in Ann Arbor). I think locking it when there's no one home is common sense, but I frequently go out and in, and the pain of locking and unlocking should be unnecessary. You're really NOT supposed to feel the need to lockup when people are home and up and it's the middle of the day. These people need to be CAUGHT and made EXAMPLES OF.
lorayn
Thu, Oct 4, 2012 : 7:06 p.m.
Ann Arbor and Campus Police have told me of times when they were at a student rental to investigate a break-in and when they got there the front door was unlocked and the only person there was a woman taking a shower or getting dressed. Keeping your door unlocked when you are inside and in another room or taking a shower is simply not common sense. I can understand if you are walking in and out of the house unloading groceries or doing some chores. I am not saying we don't need to catch people and investigate crimes, but there is a lot we can do to try to prevent crime. Most property thieves say that they simply go into places where the doors are unlocked.
anti-thug
Wed, Oct 3, 2012 : 12:03 p.m.
just pray no one assault and robbes you at gun point, in other words.. I wouldn't keep my door open my neck the woods is way way too dangers.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 9:12 p.m.
Anyone you would want walking into your place without your invitation has a key, no? Lock it. It only takes a second or two to use a key, or else knock on the door and wait to be invited in.
EatKeyLimePie
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 8:05 p.m.
Break in's in Ann Arbor the past 3 weeks have surpassed break-in's in Ypsilanti City and Township combined during the same timeframe, it seems like AA is being targeted more by criminals. Don't become a crime of opportunity, lock your doors and always be observing your surrounding, walking around remaining obviously to the rest of the world will just turn you into a victim.
anti-thug
Wed, Oct 3, 2012 : 12:01 p.m.
Ann Arbor targets it self
jim
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 5:59 p.m.
We can give our property to the criminals, or raise taxes and give our money to the politicians. Not quite sure there is any real difference.
Jack Campbell
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 4:57 p.m.
The amount of break-ins we are experiencing is getting absolutely ridiculous. The mayor better reinstate some of the police or some of us are going to go batman.
lorayn
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 4:47 p.m.
repeat after me... lock the door.
Dos mangos
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 4:43 p.m.
Maybe she didn't know how to use the lock on the door .
RUKiddingMe
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 3:51 p.m.
Man, there are a LOT of these home invasions happening. The last couple Observers' Crime Maps seem to show an increase in burglaries as well over last year; I wonder if the Observer is using the same source of info that Council uses when they talk about crime being way down. It's sad that everyone needs to lock their doors, but U of M might want to include something about that in their Welcome packet or whatever for students; a reminder to off-campus students to lock their doors. It would be good if we could catch some of these people and incarcerate them, sending a signal that A2's not so easy to steal from anymore (for unofficial bandits, anyway; locked doors don't stop millage increases, unfortunately). I wouldn't encourage anyone to endanger their lives over this, but perhaps if one of these guys is caught in a houseful of cantankerous muscle-bound Juniors or practiced gun owners, we can start delivering them to the police. When they get away it's just an amusing story to tell their buddies, and they'll be back. It's not impossible for this town to turn into New Haven; Council seems to think U of M keeps this place from any danger of going downhill, but Yale is Ivy Leaugue, and that town's as bad as Detroit; it CAN happen, people.
lorayn
Thu, Oct 4, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.
i never lived in a place where we didn't need to lock the door -- and i've lived in some very nice places. it's just a reality of life and being a grown-up.
anti-thug
Wed, Oct 3, 2012 : noon
Observer those show assaults, that would be too shocking ... Remember after the 2004 shooting death of a gas station clear it wasn't on the Observer crime map.
tdw
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 6:29 p.m.
Iorayn.....Are you serious ? It's sad when people feel the need to lock themselves inside their homes in the middle of the day to keep criminals out.That's why
lorayn
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 4:49 p.m.
why is it "sad" that people need to lock their doors? It is common sense. Anyone who doesn't lock the door (or leaves their car running the in driveway with the doors unlocked and the key in the ignition) is living in a complete fantasy world.
Alan Goldsmith
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 3:47 p.m.
Is the Mayor still 'comfortable' with public safety cuts?
anti-thug
Wed, Oct 3, 2012 : 11:58 a.m.
....yes...
tdw
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 5:56 p.m.
Wouldn't that be for the campus cops ? I'm not being sarcastic I'm just guessing the shaded area is U of M
Billy
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 3:19 p.m.
It's almost every other day now that we have this happening....
Blue Marker
Tue, Oct 2, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.
Thugs are looking at college students like easy prey.