POSSIBLE WITNESS TO TERRORIST ACTIVITY?

10/26/04 | LibertyLass

[libertylass]

I HAD MY OWN LITTLE EXPERIENCE LAST SATURDAY THAT PROMPTED ME TO CONTACT THE LOCAL POLICE, AND WHEN THAT DIDN'T SATISFY ME, THE HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE IN SACRAMENTO, CA. THEY IN TURN SENT ME BACK TO MY LOCAL FBI OFFICE, WHO CONSIDERS MY "EVENT" WORTH LOOKING INTO:

I was walking my dog at about 10:30 am when a man pulled up to the curb in front of my condominium units. We have 23 units that are place in a horseshoe shape with the "opening" of the horseshoe facing the street. The "opening" contains the building for our clubhouse and sauna room so you can't actually see into our common area from the street.

Anyway, I didn't pay any attention to him until about a 1/2 hour later when I left with my dog to take her to the vet. As I walked to my truck (on the street) this middle-Eastern looking guy was standing in the middle of the street taking pictures of our condos. Our condos are directly across from a school and less than 1/2 a block from an elementary school where voting takes place for our immediate area.

At first I wasn't going to say anything, thinking he works for a real estate company, but because there are no "For Sale" signs, or "For Rent" signs on our front lawn, I found it odd. I recently refinanced my condo and they never took pictures of the front of the condo units, but only of my interior and immediate outside walls.

So.....as I walked towards him I asked "do you mind me asking you what you're doing?" He replied "I don't know that it's any of your business" at which time I replied "well, I live here and you're taking pictures of my condos, and people are watching out for this kind of thing." (I was getting perturbed at his uncooperative and disrespectful attitude.) I figure if he was a legitimate real estate agent, or an appraiser, he would have offered an explanation or a business card.

He stated "this is a public place" and proceeded to go get in his car. Me, always being a bit bolder than I should be, got a bit mouthy and said "Oh, so now you're going to leave when someone questions what you're doing?" He replied "yeah."

As he got into car I read his license plate number out loud, got into my truck, wrote it down along with the type of automobile (Dodge Intrepid) and drove to my moms to contact the police.

It turns out that they didn't consider him committing any crime (which I knew), so I contacted the dept. of homeland security. They referred me to my local FBI office in L.A. where my story was welcomed, and that I would be getting a follow up call from an agent at some point.

After talking to a co-worker she reminded me that one school is directly across the street from our units and the other one is around the corner just a few houses down.

Perhaps I was overreacting, but taking pictures of PRIVATELY owned homes without offering an explanation from a resident makes me suspicious. He spoke good English, but has a middle Eastern accent.

I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up in the middle of the night with an orange jumpsuit on and my hands tied behind my back. Shiver........

I believe he also wrote down my license plate number, but can't be sure.

Was I over-reacting you think?

[steve86]

Not three hours ago I witnessed a similar scene but with an ME type parked in front of the entrance to our largest supermarket talking on a cell phone. Up to this point you would say there was nothing unusual or suspicious. What caught my eye was his license plate, from a state 2,000 miles away and the fact he was of unkempt appearance; kind of reminded me of the shoe bomber. Now, I am not generally paranoid of ME types, nor even do I dislike many of them, but this guy stood out in a bad way. We have quite a few highly educated and professional Muslims in this area and he was not one of them.

Unfortunately, with grocery bags and two little grandkids hanging on me there was no way I could maneuver to read his license plate without practically walking up and saying hi which I wasn't going to do with those kids. Think I will avoid that store until after the election.

[Oorang]

Do you mind if I post your post #126 to the Threat Matrix thread?

[Oorang]

Hi BearWash, how have you been? With two grandkids in tow you did the right thing. Best keep an eye out though as that does sound rather odd.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Oh mannnnn.........don't write to that person any more.

PLEASE!

Just let the law enforcement do their work from here on!!

[Quix]

Fighting off cold symptoms and trying to keep it out of my chest; teaching; throwing pots at pottery at the college and adding threads to my warp on the weaving project . . . as well as helping watch over mother.

Mother's cousin came from OK that I hadn't seen in 42 years. Was good.

Praying for election and Bush's safety. Fasting beef and eating less quantity as I pray for election.

That's probably about it.

And you and yours?

[diamond6]

What happened to your thread, I haven't seen it up for a while?

[MonaMars]

"Notice the broken english and the Arabic-sounding name. If this is a joke, it isn't funny. Craigslisters, for the most part, are assumedly liberals, and wouldn't think twice of "profiling" this guy. Well, I ain't no liberal. Should I report him to the craigslist staff, or to some higher authority? Am I also being too overreactive? This listing just sounds way too ominous for my liking."

Of course you should contact someone. Hell, you should've already done so. And why contact craigslist? Call the feds. If it's a joke, let the idiot poster be visited by surly men with badges and ammo. If it's not a joke, let the same happen.

[MissAmericanPie]

You did the right thing. I don't think you over reacted at all. In fact you were very brave.

[Old Sarge]

I would try and get a list, perhaps from Old Sarge--about what things to look out for next in such a situation. I'd insure the condo inhabitants and the principals and guards at the schools had the list. I think there are probably such lists in the Threat Matrix threads.

And I'll deliver, too!

I thought I'd PING a few interested parties to this thread - second pairs of eyes always help.

Congratulations are in order, Lass - you did everything well, with very little room for improvement.

Someone mentioned a cel that can image - it's a great LE/DHS tool. Our CI Section uses them. You'll need one; you'll want more.

Lass, I'll FReepmail you with my thoughts, but here's some public things to do:

* Keep handy the contact numbers for DHS, your STATE police (not the locals), and State Emergency Management;

* Only report subsequent sightings of these perps to the same agency that gave the best response;

Spreading the word to the neighbors and the prinipals was good! Do so for further sightings;

Your FReepmail will be inbound directly...

[Oorang]

You have freepmail.

[Oorang]

At the bottom of the page on the thread click on "Mail". Check your mailbox again (my timing is off). Sorry.

[First_Salute]

Yes. I've had a similar experience.

I am certain that the man was up to no good. He was taking pictures of the back entrance areas of a state office building. The time was near, or just after, sunset; approx. 7:05 P.M. EDT.

He was in a motorcycle jumpsuit, riding a motorcycle, and his cycle followed my car into the alley where we both parked. My vehicle about 50ft closer to the government building.

He used a small, late model digital camera with flash.

I quickly memorized his license plate no., partly because he had picked *the* time of day to get the kind of shots needed, and partly because, as I walked past him, he opened the visor of the helmet, in order to look me directly in the eye and get a good look at me.

I looked right back at him.

He was about 35 years of age, and he was middle Eastern.

I gave all this information to the building guard (where I was going, it's another building), and he reported it further to the police who did nothing about it, as usual.

I have debated whether or not I want to go give the State Police office in the capitol, the Riot Act.

I know of, but have not met the anti-terrorist team leader on the State Police. I've been referred to him, for discussion, but I have not had the time, nor the belief, because of how clumsy every security official around here seems to be, to think that they will do anything but become concerned AS USUAL about "we dont' want to start a panic."

That government building has been targeted.

I don't think that anybody around here gives a C.R.A.P.!

[Cindy]

Ditto, ditto, ditto to Old Sarge.

===
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FYI General Resource Message from Cindy:

1. If you see something suspicous and/or a crime in progress REPORT IT.
Pick up that phone NOW and call the police.

Some More REPORT IT Links:

FBI.gov
http://www.fbi.gov

REWARDS FOR JUSTICE
http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
http://www.dhs.gov

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Terrain in Maine is caused by acid rain.

[MinuteGal]

You did the right thing. We should report everything that looks suspicious. Our President has called upon us to do that.

Waiting in the long line last week at the New Port Richey Bush rally, several of us noticed a rental truck parked next to the line. It just looked out of place.

Some guy came and opened it, took a carton out, padlocked it up again and disappeared toward the stage.

A gal next to me reported it to a volunteer worker and within minutes, four secret service guys were all over that truck like white on rice.

Turns out the truck contained cartons of water bottles to be given out to the secret service working the rally, LOL.

The woman who reported this was embarrassed, but all of us in line around her assured her she did exactly the CORRECT thing.

Leni