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Original poster

We have been robbed, my teen boys were in the house..

174 replies

Hendecan · 14/04/2021 11:45

I feel so shaky. I took my girls to an art club and my teen boys were in the house.
Thankfully my boys were not harmed or injured. The robbers forced their way in. We live in a detached property in a rural area. They took all my jewellery.
I feel sick- they were probably watching the house.

OP posts:
warmandtoasty2day · 14/04/2021 14:25

This reply has been deleted

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Roselilly36 · 14/04/2021 14:26

So upsetting, I hope you haven’t lost anything of sentimental value. The main thing is your boys are ok. Who would know where you kept the jewellery?

Plumtree391 · 14/04/2021 14:30

I am particularly sorry about your jewellery, some things are irreplaceable.

The important thing is that your boys are OK.

lljkk · 14/04/2021 14:35

That seems very targeted (just jewellery, nothing else). Was nothing else of value? How much was it insured for?

How did they know you had such valuables & how did they get into a safe? Maybe there is a clue in catching them if you knew how they obtained that info.

Chemenger · 14/04/2021 14:36

Jewellery is really upsetting, it's not the monetary value its the sentimental value, especially inherited pieces. None of my mother's jewellery was particularly expensive but some had been her mother's and it all had stories behind it. Insurance bought "replacements" but that isn't really the point.

maslinpan · 14/04/2021 14:49

I experienced exactly the same, no computers/TV/ tech was touched, anything that looked vaguely like a jewellery box was targeted instead. Police said this is very standard.

LagneyandCasey · 14/04/2021 14:56

Did the boys hear or see the robbery, op? Can they give the police any information?

If they went straight to your jewellery it sounds likely it's someone who knows that

a) You have valuable jewellery.
b) Where it's kept.

Neighbours might have cameras. Ask around.

Original poster
Hendecan · 14/04/2021 15:00

Thank you so much, the kindness of strangers on MN is making me tear up.
I absolutely agree 100% about supporting the boys through this, they are usually very quiet and introverted and this has made them more so.

OP posts:
FlyingBurrito · 14/04/2021 15:04

Very scary for the teens and unsettling for everyone else but without wanting to tell the police how to do their jobs like everyone else has said it must be related to someone who knows you and your house

It's quite unusual to have jewellery that would make enough with a fence to risk a daytime robbery so imo it must be someone you know and who knows where the safe box is so there can't be many possible suspects.

Do you have any regular visitors (pre covid), staff, carers or anything like that?

Bythemillpond · 14/04/2021 15:06

I am shocked that the police actually turned up.
Friend was chased through her house by armed men and the police took hours to turn up. Weren’t interested when they did arrive and left without taking one of the burglars weapons with them. No fingerprinting or forensics taken just came to give her a crime number for insurance purposes

Tubs11 · 14/04/2021 15:13

so thankful your boys are ok, hope they aren't too shaken by the experience

SchadenfreudePersonified · 14/04/2021 15:18

What a dreadful thing to happen - thank heavens your sons are ok. If they hadn't been sleeping they may have tried to intervene and ended up badly hurt.

I can only imagine how sick with shock you must feel.

thiswaythat · 14/04/2021 15:20

@Bythemillpond

I am shocked that the police actually turned up. Friend was chased through her house by armed men and the police took hours to turn up. Weren’t interested when they did arrive and left without taking one of the burglars weapons with them. No fingerprinting or forensics taken just came to give her a crime number for insurance purposes
That's horrendous. We arrived home after our burglary had happened to no less than three police cars on our lawn as the neighbour had driven past and seen the rear patio doors shattered. I guess it depends where you're based but we couldn't have had better service from our police.
nimbuscloud · 14/04/2021 15:32

Made a beeline for the jewellery which was hidden in a safe box.

Do you think they were in your house before?

Changechangychange · 14/04/2021 15:47

Depends on where you live, thiswaythat. DM is in Sussex, very enthusiastic police response. We live in Lambeth, where they don’t come round, just give you a crime reference number. Same with car crime. Basically decriminalised, they don’t even pretend to investigate it.

CandyLeBonBon · 14/04/2021 16:01

How would they know where to find stuff though? That's really disturbing!

As pp have said it must surely be someone who has previously had access - how did they get the safe open?

So shocking

NoseOfJericho · 14/04/2021 16:10

I know someone that was burgled, not long after having a safe delivered and fitted. Was the safe company surprisingly enough.

Neighbour burgled a while ago, they popped the front door lock, opened the back door for a quick escape if anyone arrived and left it wide open, was like that several days later when neighbour returned home from holiday. Everything was turned over, and only things like jewellery, gold pens etc. taken. Several houses were burgled the same night in the area.

Original poster
Hendecan · 14/04/2021 16:15

The CID have taken over now. The jewellery was in a safe box so they could easily prise that open. It makes me ill to think that the burglars are someone we know. Its also possible that the burglars had gold detectors...

OP posts:
bendmeoverbackwards · 14/04/2021 16:21

I am so sorry this has happened to you.

We were burgled about 18 months ago while away on holiday. Like you, they targeted our bedroom and took all my jewellery. Some of it was quite valuable and most had sentimental value - things my mum had passed down to me (and she sadly died a few months later). It's such an awful thing to happen to you. I was just thankful that we weren't in the house and that they didn't leave too much mess.

I hope your poor boys are ok, what a horrible shock.

Huginamugg · 14/04/2021 16:24

As others have said OP check if you're neighbours have cameras. Maybe too early days but have the police checked with your neighbours if they saw anything suspicious?
Keep an eye on the local selling sites. Maybe they'll try to sell the jewellery on there.

nimbuscloud · 14/04/2021 16:25

Will they finger print everyone in the family?

CovidCorvid · 14/04/2021 16:27

What is a gold detector?

Sorry, this has happened. I got burgled years ago and they took so much, even the sheets off my bed!

missingeu · 14/04/2021 16:28

This happened to my mum, 5 years ago. She was in the process of moving so all her jewerelly etc was in a safe box. She left the house to get petrol came back 15 mins later and they had taken all her jewerelly, money and other hierlooms. Thankfully her 2 dogs were safe.

It turned out the village was targetted by team, thankfully to a watchful neighbour they were able to catch the criminals. Unfortunately none off my mum's stuff was ever found - which was sad due the emotional vaule as my dad had recently died.

OP: I hope you get some closure from this and are supported the police. It's awful thing to happen.

FatCatThinCat · 14/04/2021 16:29

How awful for you. Similar happened to my parents. The culprit was eventually caught for another offence and confessed to multiple others including theirs. Turned out it was one of the neighbours who had a drug problem.

FlyingBurrito · 14/04/2021 16:31

@CovidCorvid

What is a gold detector?

Sorry, this has happened. I got burgled years ago and they took so much, even the sheets off my bed!

I think the clue is in the name there Grin

It might not be the same but I know someone who was burgled and the reason for taking bedding was to carry the stuff that they had stolen in, a makeshift swag bag if you will

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