Intruder putting Lewisville on edge
Posted on 12/06/2002 4:16:33 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Intruder putting Lewisville on edge
Victims wake up to man at foot of beds; his motive is unclear
12/06/2002
LEWISVILLE - Linda Moody awoke to the sensation of a cold breeze brushing across her foot. She opened her eyes.
The figure of a stranger, crouching at the foot of her bed, crept from right to left across her room, passing in front of her digital clock. It was 12:37 a.m. Wednesday.
The 61-year-old and her husband, Aubrey, had just become the victims of a home invasion. Their house was the ninth in southwest Lewisville to have been hit since Oct. 9 while inhabitants were home.
Assistant Police Chief David Fowler said investigators believe one man may be responsible for all nine intrusions. The intruder typically comes in through an unlocked door or garage, rarely takes anything and has repeatedly been discovered standing at the foot of his victims' beds.
As the stranger went into her living room, Mrs. Moody tucked her foot under the covers, nudged her husband and reached for the phone. The line was dead, she said.
"As I started to stir, he just stood there," she said. "When I realized the phone was dead, I started screaming: 'Operator, operator, get me the police! I've got a burglar in my house!' "
As she spoke, the intruder peered around a corner at her.
"I was shaking so bad, I was literally sick at my stomach," Mrs. Moody said. "It wasn't fear, it was terror, because he wasn't leaving."
Her husband woke and yelled, "Get me the gun."
The intruder bolted through the front door, which he had left open.
"We're extremely concerned about this type of offense because we believe the motive is either a physical attack on a person, or that he's getting some type of psychological thrill by entering a house while people are there," Chief Fowler said. "If it's for the thrill, over time, it will take more activity to get the same thrill.
"We feel like this poses a particularly dangerous threat for the community."
Police Chief Steve McFadden urged residents to be vigilant.
"People need to lock their doors and windows," he said. "You don't know what the intent of something like this is, so it's best to assume it's bad and take every precaution you can."
Police also advised residents to keep cellphones near them at all times.
In some cases, small items or cash were stolen.
The first invasion occurred about 12:45 a.m. Oct. 9 about one mile northwest of the Moodys' home. On Nov. 11, three homes were hit in one night.
Randy Graham, 37, said he woke up at 2:30 a.m. Nov. 11 to the stranger.
"I heard a noise and opened my eyes, and he was standing at the foot of my bed," he said. "The only thing I could see was a silhouette.
"When I noticed him, he was just standing still. He wasn't moving or anything. He was just waiting to see what I would do. When I got up, he just took off."
The description of the intruder has been vague but similar. He's described as 6 feet tall and weighing 170 to 200 pounds. Clothing in nearly every incident has been the same. Police said he wears jeans, a dark shirt and a hat. But other details have varied, Chief Fowler said. Most victims did not get a good look at the intruder's face because it was dark, he said.
Police are not certain that every incident is linked but believe one or possibly two men are responsible. The incidents have been classified as criminal trespassing or burglaries.
"There are some commonalities, and there are some discrepancies as well," Chief Fowler said.
No matter where people live, they should take precautions, Sgt. Richard Douglass said.
Chief Fowler said he is hoping to capture the intruder before the incidents escalate.
"The entire Police Department is on alert," Sgt. Douglass said.
This story also appears in the Denton County Morning News.
E-mail rhorton@dallasnews.com
Not "lock up tight" but LOCK AND LOAD RIGHT! This intruder, this home-invader needed to be killed - needs to be killed.
Thank goodness South Carolina's outgoing Attorney General has made clear that home-invaders' deaths will not be prosecuted.
The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.
--- So, boys and girls, what is the lesson here?
Hmm?
--- That's right, Johnny, guns are indeed a bad thing. Suppose the wife had handed the gun to her husband, and it accidentally discharged? Another fatal accident caused by guns. Good answer, Johnny.
Personally, I keep a .357 on the top of the table beside the bed. And finding a stranger in my house will put me into a very nasty mood.
I hope they're keeping firearms handy to stop this creep befor he graduates to more serious crimes. These guys always escalate.
Is it a defensive gun use if a gun not only doesn't kill someone, isn't even shot, and in fact isn't even displayed but is merely mentioned and the criminal runs off?
Reminds me of the humor about the robber who broke into this house and looking around with his flashlight. Then he hears this voice, "Jesus is watching."
Startled, the robber looks around sees nothing and continues.
"Jesus is watching" he hears again. This time he shines the light on a parrot and says "Did you say that?". "Yes" the parrot said. "What's your name?" "Moses" replied the parrot.
"Humpf" the robber said,"What kind of people would name their parrot Moses?"
The parrot replied, "The same kind of people that name their rottweiller Jesus".
OK, I will share something we teach in a personal defense course that everyone should add to their in-home arrangements:
Install a dead-bolt lock on your bedroom door and keep it locked at night. This eliminates the chance of waking up with someone in your bedroom.
There are a series of changes folks should make to their homes to incease security. This is but one that can be done without going into anything elaborate.
70% of convicted American felons are out on parole, combing our streets, and on top of that, due to our corrupt government that does not believe in protecting innocents, we have 13 million "invisible" and unaccountable illegals roaming around.
God gave people brains so they would use them.
That's funny. The guy didn't flinch when she picked up the phone. He only fled when a firearm was mentioned.
Interesting, isn't it, officer?
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