Many years ago, I came home from work to seeing my jewelry strewn across the floor from my basement door to my bedroom as I walked inside. Instantly, I knew someone had been in my house. I had no idea whether or not they were still there, but signs of an expedient departure were telling me they may very well be close by.  I grabbed my dog and swiftly headed out to my car. I had a gun, but it was in my new safe in my bedroom sitting on the floor. The safe was covered with a lace doily on top and a pile of Good Housekeeping magazines and my Bible. I had staged some tall boots in front so it would not be totally visible to anyone else as to what it was, never thinking it would be a thief. It was not yet bolted to the floor. I was very new to concealed carry.  I worked for the county and we were not “allowed” to carry at work.

I quickly drove three minutes down the road to the diner where my son worked and called the police. I was shaking uncontrollably thinking they may have broken into the safe and had my gun. Then I remembered I heard a door slam as I entered but thought it was from the pressure of opening the front door which caused the upstairs basement door to slam shut.

The police arrived within minutes and we met them at the house. They entered and cleared all the rooms. It was the 3rd time someone had gotten into my home and stole from us. I thought the missing change money from our  5 gallon water bottle and the disturbed wood pile was one of our kid’s friends. I was determined to figure this out and I did. I was able to solve the crime within a few weeks and presented my facts to the Captain of the local police department.

There had been a string of break ins and robberies in the area and I had overheard a lady in the coffee shop talk about her house being broken into and a week later another lady talking about her husband being robbed at gunpoint, just up the road. I put my detective hat on and asked them both a few questions and the common denominator was a hired painter. We all had the same guy paint the interior of our homes.

It took months before they could nail him, but they did, and he was charged and went away on multiple charges.

What I learned was that it CAN  happen to you. It pays to be aware. I was alerted, not by my dog, because the painter knew him. Besides he was a loveable black lab. I was alerted by my senses when I saw the jewelry and something was not right. It was out of place and my instincts said to “Leave now!” and I obeyed. Had I ignored and went downstairs to look and try to investigate, who knows what may have happened. This painter was a bodybuilder and turns out he was heavily into drugs.

I was later able to request to be armed at my job at the county clerk’s Office where I worked as the pistol licensing clerk and was successful in being able to carry concealed from that point on.  I became very interested in the concealed carry laws and seriously began my firearms journey here.

Pay attention and follow your intuition that God gave you.  It may save your life.

An article to the arrest of the suspect.

My home was burglarized in Claverack, New York