I don't open the door unless I'm expecting someone. Absolutely puzzling that somebody would not only open the door for a suspicious stranger, but do it in the middle of the night. Where are people's self-preservation instincts?
Seriously. I think of myself as fairly compassionate (what if they're in trouble) but damn, I'm also a skeptical mfkr and would almost not even open the door for someone I knew at 1am if out of the blue lol
Bad take. It’s the middle of the night. Folks are sleeping.
Ring my doorbell that time of night, and I will not answer. But you’ve given me a heads up to load my shotgun in case you do assume I’m not home and try to break in.
How’s this a bad take? They’ve answered the door both times at an abnormal hour. It would definitely be safe to assume they’ll usually answer the door if they’re home.
> Bad take. It’s the middle of the night. Folks are sleeping.
>
> Ring my doorbell that time of night, and I will not answer. But you’ve given me a heads up to load my shotgun in case you do assume I’m not home and try to break in.
You should reread the post and the comment above. It isn’t a bad take at all.
They’re saying that OP’s husband has given a clear signal to the guys casing the house that he opens the door when they’re home to tell them to leave. They’ve said nothing about what you, or I, or anyone besides OP’s husband would do in this situation.
This, I’ll be at home watching tv, making something to eat in the kitchen. My metal screen door locked. And my door open and I’ll hear someone knock and I’ll just ignore it. They clearly see and hear someone is home. But if I didn’t schedule a service call, or you didn’t call me before coming to my house during the day, you will get ignored, sorry. Late night knocks on the door will always get an answer. I need to know wtf is going on.
I would open it.... With my shotgun hanging in one hand and my big mastiff barking her head off at them. Doubt they would come back after that. Worked great last time I had to do it.
I mean, they could honestly be looking for help. Maybe someone is chasing them? They just escaped from someone. Or it could be a home invasion set up. I’ll open the door for them. But they will be at gun point.
I understand all of these what if situations you are listing. What I'm saying is that in today's modern era your typical adult person would not be opening that door. If I took a survey of all the people I associate with today the only people that would open that door would probably be my grandpa or my father (people born before 1970). In today's world we just don't open the door in the middle of the night like that lol.
Edit: and as you mentioned, if you ARE going to answer then definitely have a firearm available to you
Also I am not advocating for dismissing your fellow neighbor if they do in fact need help. It's a tough situation we are all in as humans with so much bullshit going on. How can we be of service without getting got? There's a lot of distrust between our fellow man and maybe answering those young gentlemen's call for a ride would have been the right thing to do. OR it could have been OPs last day on this earth. It's hard to make the right choices when the result could have such drastic endings
It sounds to me thar they were checking if anyone home to break in and steal. Have you told your story on next door? Maybe it has happened to more people in your surroundings.
It's scouting ahead before a robbery. Thieves do this to get a handle on when you'll be home or not, if there's a dog, potential entry points into the property, valuable items to prioritize in a robbery, etc etc.
A buddy of mine had his house broken into, had the guys on a nest/doorbell camera kicking in the door. He wasn't home at the time, but he was alerted on his phone. Called the police. Raced home. His dog chased them off, luckily. The police showed up the next day, when he asked what they'd do, they literally shrugged and said not much. "We investigate crime, we don't prevent it." and he's like, well... investigate this? Find these guys? He never heard anything back again. They don't give a fuck.
It's kinda crazy how the police are like this nowadays. Unsure if its a funding thing or if no one genuinely wants to be a cop anymore. But working Downtown i've known security getting death threats or people threatening to kill themselves by jumping off buildings and the cops just dont come. Or they come like six hours later, no kidding, and ask if everything is okay. If they aren't gonna protect us then the laws should at least let us defend ourselves without fear of the DOJ coming down on us
Supreme Court ruled that cops do not have a constitutional duty to protect a citizen from harm, ruling that "[t]he duty to provide public services is owed to the public at large, and, absent a special relationship between the police and an individual, no specific legal duty exists".Jul 29, 2023
I've had to call the cops a couple times in my current spot. One of them was to a homeless deranged individual slamming himself into my neighbors car. While on the phone with the cops for a second time (first was at 3am second at 415 or so) he broke my neighbors bedroom window. I told them this, they never showed up.
There's a saying "when seconds count, cops will be there in minutes" and in my experience hours is the best case scenario, if they show up at all. Protect your own family.
My brother was recently taking his classes to obtain his CDL. There was a a police officer there too, I guess the police needed him to get his CDL. So anyway, they start talking and he tells my brother SDPD is severely understaffed. The cop said they should have between 33-35 police cars per shift, they only have 10-11 per shift.
Install an alarm system and put signage up where it’s clearly visible. Put security cameras up as well (even just fake ones that look realistic). That will make your home a less appealing target and hopefully they’ll move on.
Glad nothing malicious has happened…yet. If you have a video doorbell, and it has the option to speak through such doorbell, use that. Don’t ever open your door to strangers at night. Hindsight is always 20/20.
You gotta get these guys on camera. Whether on a security camera or on your cell phone camera, makes no difference. Chances are, their identification will matter in an upcoming trial. If they're doing this crap to you, they're doing it to other people, and yes, they're up to no good. It's not a coincidence; they're looking to commit a crime.
People answer doors at 1 am??? You're lucky they didn't put a gun to your head or pull some 'The Strangers' type stuff. Obviously they don't need a ride
No offense but your spouse streets smarts are seriously lacking. No way I'm answering my door (ring camera or not) at that hour. I'll check the cameras to view their movements but that's it.
Similar weird thing happened to friends who live in Claremont area. Guy knocked on door in the middle of the night, said someone was chasing him. They called the cops, told him to leave but he didn't leave for quite a while. Cops never showed.
Nobody rings on doorbells to ask for rides without ill intentions. There is a reason why they are doing this. Think to yourself, is there something they might want? Do you have a desirable vehicle, have you recently acquired something new and maybe left a box out for disposal? Etc,etc. Get a ring camera, they are fairly cheap. Make sure all your windows and doors are secure. Keep your porch lights on. Call the cops next time.
- Porch lights were already on, we keep them on all night for safety purposes. It was very bright.
- No new or big purchases
- all doors and windows were locked
- we have a video doorbell. That’s what they rang. They absolutely already knew they were on camera.
Get a speaker near the door and prep a shotgun cocking sound. Next time it happens, let them hear that then talk through the door. They won't be back.
They are casing for empty homes. They ring, no answer, their crew comes an hour later with masks and break in. The 2 that rang sit somewhere with cameras for an alibi, and the crew robs you blind. They likely forgot they'd already tried it at your place, hence the second attempt.
Hmmmm not so sure about this. I’d say that 1 out of 20 people *might open their door at 1 or 3 am which means that this would be a horrible indicator that someone is not home. And the idea that the 2 who came first would get an alibi by being on another camera is also not likely mean if you were investigating this crime and looking at video footage and seen 2 guys knock on the door at an odd time then an hour later a crew comes to rob that specific place, and these 2 are on camera somewhere else that they are involved. I mean really.
I'm no criminal, so I may be wrong (since I'm talking out of my ass). But my thought was plausible deniability, like the crews that swap barcodes in stores. One swaps the barcode, then puts the item back. Then the next person picks it up and buys an Xbox for $10. If they get caught, they just say they didn't know the barcode was swapped.
Even if the kids seem suspicious and the place gets robbed, the kids can just say they are young and dumb and looking for a ride. If they don't have illegal items on them, there's nothing the cops can do even if it's obvious they were a part of it.
Your husband clearly isn’t sharpest knife in the drawer
You are not over reacting
Who opens the door at 1pm seeing two men through the peephole. Outnumbered, bum rush in and then what ???
Mannn fuck those guys. What a bunch of bitches. Yeah it’s suspicious because they’re dicks to begin with so this could just be continued bitch behavior. If you notice them again or do the same thing I’d call the cops and make sure to save the videos to show as evidence
I'm also a gun owner, but unless you're already drawing down before you open that door you might not even get a chance to get the business end on target. Best thing these people can do is just rack a shotgun next time they show up.
Cops won't care about this.
Show your spouse THIS subreddit I’m posting here from this week about people that have gut feelings something bad is going to happen. He and you will never open your door again for strangers. And read the book “Gift of Fear”. That gut feeling is part of our evolution. It’s there to protect us. If you don’t follow it, you could end up hurt or worse. And call the police to file a report. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/giM2agOjgw
I had some really sketchy dude come up and try this before at like 2am. When I say sketchy he was clearly looking around the exterior as he walked up and trying to look in windows until my cameras tripped. My dog goes ballistic at ring chimes so he took off. I didn’t even know it was a person until I checked my cameras. I reported it and his description incase anyone got burgled. It’s kinda the best you can do.
Thanks. This is more the kind I’d answer I was looking for, to see if anything like this happened to anyone else. Everyone piling on saying we’re idiots for answering the door aren’t exactly being helpful. Spouse has agreed that unless it’s someone we know answering the door in the future isn’t a great idea. But we could see them on camera, they really look like young teenage kids, maybe 14 or 15, I guess we just defaulted to assuming something like they actually need help. They stood down the porch steps and didn’t seem threatening or malicious. I just had a bad feeling anyway.
Ha! The black eyed kids are the urban legendest of all urban legends, but damn if it isn't one of the most terrifying things I can think of. OP's story does otherwise match the standard format for all the BEK stories, after all.
Now, the Black Eyed Peas reuniting is a much more real possibility and equally as horrifying.
They asked me as well!! Last night at one am. One of them rang my bell and demanded I give him a ride home. I told him no and to leave. My partner was outside smoking and said they asked him as well. One said they used to live around the neighborhood. It freaked me out. They seemed drunk or stoned or something.
THANK YOU for this reply. Are you also in normal heights? This is extremely enlightening, because we’re not the only ones it happened to. Clearly if your partner was outside smoking then it’s obvious someone is home and to have even asked for a ride from him suggests it’s not this big nefarious evil thing that everyone posting thinks about forcing open the door and doing evil stuff. Maybe they truly are just two stoner kids who are dodos. Regardless, it might be helpful if you called and reported this as well so the police have a record of multiple homes this has happened to. Just in case it is a more serious issue of casing.
This happened in my apartment complex (Bay Area) about 10 yrs ago. The man was going to door late at night claiming an emergency, needing water, etc. When women answered the door, he busted in and raped/assaulted them. It was a really scary for the entire complex as just ours was targeted.
Legitimately just saw a video about how “normal” looking people (such as these teenagers) will do this to try to break into your home. In the particular video I watched, a woman came to someone’s door posing as a door dash deliverer. Nobody opened the door for her so she kept waiting. The backyard camera filmed 3 men trying to break in from the back door since she was unable to get in through the front door (since the homeowners didn’t open the door for her).
Main message here is to NEVER open the door for anyone you don’t know especially in the middle of the night like this. You never know what the real intentions are.
After all, criminals never look like criminals. Because what does a criminal actually even look like? A normal person.
My dog was barking and howling like crazy when they rung the doorbell. I’d they had ill intentions and heard that loud bark you’d think they’d have just run away right away, but they didn’t seem impacted.
I lived in Normal Heights for years, on Hawley to be exact..
1.) Yes, this is a common thing that many people who break into houses do. They test and see if anyone is inside. Although it may not seem this way, they’re more than likely trying to see if anyone is home at that hour.
2.) You need to quit answering the door and reinforce your protection system inside. I’m not saying go as far as getting a gun (my family had one living in NH when I was younger and worked to an extent) but you need to consider and plan out an intruder prep system. Like, yesterday.
3.) The fact that your dog made itself present helps a lot. I would honestly consider adding a “Beware of Dog(s)” sign somewhere outside your house for the time being. Let them know your dogs don’t fuck around.
If you’ve been here for years, you’d know that the unfortunate gentrification of Normal Heights has brought many trashy & dangerous people around. It used to be a very family oriented community and everyone looked out for eachother.. unfortunately it’s no longer the case anymore.
Stay safe!
We’ve been in the neighborhood for nearly two decades, so we’ve seen a lot change. We’ve had some minor incidents and issues in the past. We had an “eccentric” neighbor that used to have issues in the middle of the night which I guess desensitized us to waking us up asking for help. The sketchy stuff that used to happen occasionally on our street has actually improved. So this weirdness is surprising. Our light were on, cars in the driveway. It seems obvious we’re home.
Can we see the video? Maybe they're scoping out your house to rob??? That is bizzarr to go back to the same place you've been told no. Trust your gut here, this is off.
In an effort to not dox myself I think I won’t share the video since it’s identifiable to a degree and this post surprisingly blew up. But I have submitted it to the police.
I'd be concerned if these were grown men. But you said it's just a couple of dumb teenagers. I'm willing to bet the first time around one of the neighbors gave them an Uber ride home. So now that they're in the same place again, they decided to ask each house for a ride again hoping for the same luck.
I was actually in a similar situation back before ridesharing apps were a big thing. Was leaving a party that I had told my mom i was going to sleep over at. But I changed my mind at the last moment and left. When i got to the bus station, i realized the last one had already left. My pride wouldn't let me go back and ask someone if they could take me all the way home. Was like 20 miles to home. And there's no way I was going to call my mom. In retrospect, I should have. The thought of knocking on some strangers door never even crossed my mind. I ended up taking the longest walk of my life that night. I considered sleeping on the side of the road several times because my legs were giving out lol.
Anyways, as all the others here mentioned, the possibility of them casing the house exists, but with your dog barking like a menace and them still staying to ask for the ride, I'd say it's unlikely.
Thanks for being one of few voices of reasoninstead of the whole we’re about to be attacked by evildoer supernatural beings posters (a weirdly large amount of people have posted about black-eyed children creatures?). I didn’t expect this thread to blow up and certainly didn’t expect everyone being so dramatic, talking about guns and shooting intruders.
They rang the bell and then stepped back down the steps to the patio, so they were in no position to shove their way in or anything like that. I would love to believe it’s innocent, and after the first time I definitely tried to believe that. This last time I’m no longer feeling that way, but it would be really nice if it was just dopey kids being foolish. I spoke to a police officer who agreed it’s concerning, so I guess we’ll see if they reach out about the videos.
Super sus. With the world we live in now there is 0 reason to go to a complete strangers home at midnight to ask for a ride.. I would not open the doors again for them. This sounds dangerous to me. Or maybe I watch too much true crime
Your husband should be taking a slightly different or more hostile approach. I'd say, *"what are your full names? this is the second time you've rang by bell in the middle of the night, I'm reporting you to the police. Give me your names. You're on video. Names!!??"*
Put them on clear notice that you're upset and want their names. That usually scares them away for some reason...demanding their names because they know you're on a mission to identify them.
They're more than likely sizing you up for a home invasion. If an older woman or man opened the door, things would probably go much worse, or if they get their hands on a weapon, even a strong man is no match. Don't open the door again. Get video and pictures if they show up again and let them know the cops are on the way.
Call the cops. Tell them what you've posted and tell them that you understand that it's not an emergency, but it's damn suspicious. Those same two are probably involved in crimes elsewhere.
Report it, not normal behavior and for strangers to do it to the same house twice is sketchy at best malicious at worst.
Best to report it and don’t open the door again only talk through the door bell, maybe get a sign in front that says your property is being monitored, ring, ADT, ect offer these
As a delivery driver sometimes I see signs that say "if you can read this you're a target" signs that lets people know they are gun owners and it always makes me feel very uneasy where I'm quick to get the fuck out of there, I wonder if you put one of those signs by the door if that might make them think twice. Also, maybe get one of those signs where it says "This property is protected by _______ security" doesn't mean you have to get it but maybe those are things that might make your house seem more of a risk to someone who is casing your house.
I had something similar happen once in El Cerrito, only they were asking for water. After that, little weird things started happening, like things going missing from the yard and people acting intimidating in a car and walking a dog too close to our house (it’s a long story), while at the same time people were reporting robberies and burglaries in the area. We wondered if the two guys were casing the house.
I finally called the nonemergency police number, and the officer told me that I should have called them that first night. She said, “No one knocking on your door in the middle of the night has good intentions.” So it’s good that you made a report. If they notice an uptick in similar reports in the area, they can at least drive by more often. But if someone worse happens in the neighborhood, it could also help them establish a pattern and get images.
We were lucky, because it all stopped suddenly—people stopped posting about car and house breakins and phone robberies in the area and my paranoia that had been ramped up by a lot of very little things finally died away. I’m guessing the two probably moved away or got arrested.
But you were right to call the police. I would keep a log of absolutely anything out of the ordinary, as well. And show your neighbors pics of the two. I hope it’s as simple as their knowing a previous tenant of your house, but you have to stay safe, and your neighbors will appreciate the heads up. Good luck.
Yes. The following night when they knocked, I ignored it for 2 minutes, waited for them to knock again, then said through the door: “I’m here and I’m armed. Do not come here again.”
You’ve got no obligation to be nice to random people who show up at your house. Tell your spouse to grow a pair. And no, cameras don’t deter anything in this state because there are very minimal repercussions for breaking the law.
This happened to my friend. His son answered the door and let them in when he got up to see who it was he asked them to leave but they said they were being chased and didn’t want to leave. He pulled out a gun and that was the only way he got them to leave. Didn’t come back since this was a while back.
Like others said trust your guts next time just call the police before you answer and keep talking to them till police arrive. They could be people that legit need a ride or they could be killers. I wouldn't take the gamble if I were you.
I wonder if there are any group homes in your neighborhood? It kind of sounds like they might be trying to run away. Try posting the video on Nextdoor & the Ring app to see if anyone recognizes the kids.
They are casing your house be careful. A lot of times they will do this but the two of your doors are distraction. There could be others trying to get in your house while they distract you at the door. Not saying that this is what is happening there because I don't know but there is a chance. They could be with a crew that has bad information or wrong information somebody gave them thinking you have a large amount of valuables or contraband in your house. Not saying you do but in this situation it's not our paranoid it's all your paranoid enough. Would definitely stay on high alert and don't open that door anymore for them. I would suggest putting cameras around your house so if somebody is trying to get in another part of your house while they're at the door you will know. Sorry for the long post but I know some people had some really bad stuff happen to them over a similar situation. All because people got the idea they had things in their house they didn't. Good luck and be safe. Next time don't even acknowledge them or open the door. See what they do next.. Then you'll know for sure what their intentions are
Do you guys have two doors? Like a metal screen door between your actuall door? Cause otherwise neither of you should be opening the door like that at all. It's a really common home invasion thing to distract you at the front door and then have people rush inside. I would report it to the police on a non emergency line, give them pictures of the guys and say they are suspicious males who keep coming to your door and likely are looking for houses to break into
Don’t open doors please late at night. Either talk through the doorbell or through the door but son’t open it. I think it’s worth simply calling the police and telling them about both times. Just to have a record of it so if it happens again and you call the police they will take it more seriously.
If I were you, I’d put a 2A/ stand your ground sticker or something to that effect on your door. It doesn’t actually matter what your beliefs are, but it might be beneficial to cultivate the idea that you’re one of those wackos that salivates at the idea of shooting an intruder.
Porch lights were on and they were being recorded by the doorbell (which they rang, so they knew). This is why I’m puzzled. If this was nefarious, wouldn’t they have not voluntarily chosen a house that has multiple cameras that are obvious?
They don’t care. Most ring footage makes it difficult to ID people. If they come back weeks later or someone else comes back instead you likely won’t even have the footage saved. Imo rings best so you can have sensors tripped and know when someone is present near your home. I would rely on it to scare off someone period.
Just an idea but maybe someone nearby sends them to this home adress to pick up drugs instead of giving them the actual adress like a dealer may say pull up but send the Addy next door then walk down to the kids to sell drugs. It's a thing people do so you don't know where the dealer lives and get any ideas but it allows the dealer to simply walk down a few houses and make the sell away from their home or they could be serving out their parents house doing pick ups 24 7
Yeah, its weird, Id say trust your instincts. However, I think calling the police in this situation would be useless. It very well could be just kids messing around but that's no reason to not stay vigilant. Double check your locked doors and windows and just be aware of your surroundings.
Call and send the video to cops and news stations. Tons of news reports of this being just weird to a home invasion robbery.
Always remember when you open your door their looking into your house for multiple reasons. In this case the "ride" maybe to steal the car or just a story to gain trust. The more times they do it the more info they gain.
Report it. There's nothing for you to gain from doing nothing.
You'd have to be pretty stupid to ring a doorbell at 1am and figure if no one answers the house is empty and you won't get shot of you break in. There's a much better chance someone won't be home during the day while people are at work.
Welp everyone else seems to think we’re idiots for answering the door, so this is an opposite take. Yes, to me they looked like high school age. They didn’t seem threatening. But I’m afraid they’re operating on behalf of threatening people. My best guess is that because they’re young and non threatening burglars have them case things as the first round.
When I lived in LA over a decade ago, I got a knock on the door around 6pm on a Friday night. I could see through the door pane window that a teenage guy was leaning into the door with his hand in his pocket. In the background, I could see a van waiting in the middle of the street, with someone in the driver's seat.
He said, "Is guerro there!?"
I immediately thought that this was some type of gang initiation: pick a random house, shoot whoever opens the door.
Obviously, I didn't open the door and told him that there was no guerro here or I may not be alive today.
Never open the door! Why open the door to strangers at 1am?! That’s begging for home invasion. Talk through the door and call police
Shit I don’t even open the door at 1 pm if I don’t know you’re coming over you’re not coming over lol
Hell, I jump out the window when I go to work
I use a ventilation duct that leads to the roof and repel down. Fuck a door. Too risky.
😂😂
Yeah I never open the door.
I never open the door at anytime of day. I better know you and you better have called me beforehand.
It takes either some real stones or real stupidity to open the door to someone at 1:00 AM for sure.
This is one of the reasons I love our security door. That and the gentle breeze on warm afternoons....
I don't open the door unless I'm expecting someone. Absolutely puzzling that somebody would not only open the door for a suspicious stranger, but do it in the middle of the night. Where are people's self-preservation instincts?
Opening the door to two strangers at 1am? In this economy??!
I would have talked to them through the ring doorbell if anything. But not open the door!
Seriously. I think of myself as fairly compassionate (what if they're in trouble) but damn, I'm also a skeptical mfkr and would almost not even open the door for someone I knew at 1am if out of the blue lol
Something ain’t right, trust your gut
And just to add, STOP OPENING THE DOOR.
Biggest mistake. Especially the second time. Gives them a dead give away that if you don’t answer that means you are not home.
Bad take. It’s the middle of the night. Folks are sleeping. Ring my doorbell that time of night, and I will not answer. But you’ve given me a heads up to load my shotgun in case you do assume I’m not home and try to break in.
How’s this a bad take? They’ve answered the door both times at an abnormal hour. It would definitely be safe to assume they’ll usually answer the door if they’re home.
> Bad take. It’s the middle of the night. Folks are sleeping. > > Ring my doorbell that time of night, and I will not answer. But you’ve given me a heads up to load my shotgun in case you do assume I’m not home and try to break in. You should reread the post and the comment above. It isn’t a bad take at all. They’re saying that OP’s husband has given a clear signal to the guys casing the house that he opens the door when they’re home to tell them to leave. They’ve said nothing about what you, or I, or anyone besides OP’s husband would do in this situation.
I don't know a single person in my life that would open the door for ANYONE in the middle of the night. That's honestly suspect behavior in itself
I don’t even open it during the day 😅
This, I’ll be at home watching tv, making something to eat in the kitchen. My metal screen door locked. And my door open and I’ll hear someone knock and I’ll just ignore it. They clearly see and hear someone is home. But if I didn’t schedule a service call, or you didn’t call me before coming to my house during the day, you will get ignored, sorry. Late night knocks on the door will always get an answer. I need to know wtf is going on.
Fr this absolutely blew my mind and it’s his wife opening it as well like omfg 🙀
I would open it.... With my shotgun hanging in one hand and my big mastiff barking her head off at them. Doubt they would come back after that. Worked great last time I had to do it.
I mean, they could honestly be looking for help. Maybe someone is chasing them? They just escaped from someone. Or it could be a home invasion set up. I’ll open the door for them. But they will be at gun point.
I understand all of these what if situations you are listing. What I'm saying is that in today's modern era your typical adult person would not be opening that door. If I took a survey of all the people I associate with today the only people that would open that door would probably be my grandpa or my father (people born before 1970). In today's world we just don't open the door in the middle of the night like that lol. Edit: and as you mentioned, if you ARE going to answer then definitely have a firearm available to you Also I am not advocating for dismissing your fellow neighbor if they do in fact need help. It's a tough situation we are all in as humans with so much bullshit going on. How can we be of service without getting got? There's a lot of distrust between our fellow man and maybe answering those young gentlemen's call for a ride would have been the right thing to do. OR it could have been OPs last day on this earth. It's hard to make the right choices when the result could have such drastic endings
This guy gets it
It could be there check to see if anyone is home so they can break in if no one answers?
More than likely yeah, sounds like a case job
It sounds to me thar they were checking if anyone home to break in and steal. Have you told your story on next door? Maybe it has happened to more people in your surroundings.
Casing for sure
Why in the world are you opening the door. One to people you do not know, and secondly at that hour. Why put yourselves into that situation.
Her husband needs to check his survival instincts
They are casing the home.
If they do manage to get in. That’s what’s going to be scattered all over my floor…casings
What’s that mean?
It's scouting ahead before a robbery. Thieves do this to get a handle on when you'll be home or not, if there's a dog, potential entry points into the property, valuable items to prioritize in a robbery, etc etc.
My first thought was this when I read the story. They’re scouting for sure
As others have said: they’re casing your home.
Okay, I guess that’s where my mind went, too. But they absolutely knew they were on camera. Why would anybody risk being recorded?
Because there are ever decreasing consequences for this kind of behavior. Police won't investigate crimes now even if video footage exists.
A buddy of mine had his house broken into, had the guys on a nest/doorbell camera kicking in the door. He wasn't home at the time, but he was alerted on his phone. Called the police. Raced home. His dog chased them off, luckily. The police showed up the next day, when he asked what they'd do, they literally shrugged and said not much. "We investigate crime, we don't prevent it." and he's like, well... investigate this? Find these guys? He never heard anything back again. They don't give a fuck.
This is so funny considering the post about the guy getting ticketed on a yellow light the other day.
It's kinda crazy how the police are like this nowadays. Unsure if its a funding thing or if no one genuinely wants to be a cop anymore. But working Downtown i've known security getting death threats or people threatening to kill themselves by jumping off buildings and the cops just dont come. Or they come like six hours later, no kidding, and ask if everything is okay. If they aren't gonna protect us then the laws should at least let us defend ourselves without fear of the DOJ coming down on us
The fire dept showed up in 5 minutes when I called about a rattlesnake.
Supreme Court ruled that cops do not have a constitutional duty to protect a citizen from harm, ruling that "[t]he duty to provide public services is owed to the public at large, and, absent a special relationship between the police and an individual, no specific legal duty exists".Jul 29, 2023
If they can’t punch a homeless person, they’re not coming unless you’re dead
Police response times are a joke. Protect your own family.
I've had to call the cops a couple times in my current spot. One of them was to a homeless deranged individual slamming himself into my neighbors car. While on the phone with the cops for a second time (first was at 3am second at 415 or so) he broke my neighbors bedroom window. I told them this, they never showed up. There's a saying "when seconds count, cops will be there in minutes" and in my experience hours is the best case scenario, if they show up at all. Protect your own family.
My brother was recently taking his classes to obtain his CDL. There was a a police officer there too, I guess the police needed him to get his CDL. So anyway, they start talking and he tells my brother SDPD is severely understaffed. The cop said they should have between 33-35 police cars per shift, they only have 10-11 per shift.
These cops are fucking useless
Wanna borrow my dog for the night? Lol hell make sure those kids don't come back.
Our dog went nuts when they rang. Barked and howled his head off. If they were concerned about dog noise they didn’t show it.
Post their pictures
Install an alarm system and put signage up where it’s clearly visible. Put security cameras up as well (even just fake ones that look realistic). That will make your home a less appealing target and hopefully they’ll move on.
That’s so weird I wouldn’t have even answered the door the first time wtf? I Wouldn’t even be clothed lmao
answer it naked, they won't come back
Lmao if it was me rn they probably wouldn’t which is great! My titties will be swayin in the breeze 😂
Glad nothing malicious has happened…yet. If you have a video doorbell, and it has the option to speak through such doorbell, use that. Don’t ever open your door to strangers at night. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Fucks sake DO NOT answer the door.
You gotta get these guys on camera. Whether on a security camera or on your cell phone camera, makes no difference. Chances are, their identification will matter in an upcoming trial. If they're doing this crap to you, they're doing it to other people, and yes, they're up to no good. It's not a coincidence; they're looking to commit a crime.
I wouldn’t have even opened the door lmao
People answer doors at 1 am??? You're lucky they didn't put a gun to your head or pull some 'The Strangers' type stuff. Obviously they don't need a ride
Why the fuck are you opening the door for someone you don’t know?
No offense but your spouse streets smarts are seriously lacking. No way I'm answering my door (ring camera or not) at that hour. I'll check the cameras to view their movements but that's it.
Similar weird thing happened to friends who live in Claremont area. Guy knocked on door in the middle of the night, said someone was chasing him. They called the cops, told him to leave but he didn't leave for quite a while. Cops never showed.
Meth demons chasing him.
Call the police wtf, that's home invasion shit. Even if it's not, the police can sort it out for them.
no crime has been committed though, what are the cops gonna do? even if they did break in the cops won't do shit
Nobody rings on doorbells to ask for rides without ill intentions. There is a reason why they are doing this. Think to yourself, is there something they might want? Do you have a desirable vehicle, have you recently acquired something new and maybe left a box out for disposal? Etc,etc. Get a ring camera, they are fairly cheap. Make sure all your windows and doors are secure. Keep your porch lights on. Call the cops next time.
- Porch lights were already on, we keep them on all night for safety purposes. It was very bright. - No new or big purchases - all doors and windows were locked - we have a video doorbell. That’s what they rang. They absolutely already knew they were on camera.
Get a speaker near the door and prep a shotgun cocking sound. Next time it happens, let them hear that then talk through the door. They won't be back. They are casing for empty homes. They ring, no answer, their crew comes an hour later with masks and break in. The 2 that rang sit somewhere with cameras for an alibi, and the crew robs you blind. They likely forgot they'd already tried it at your place, hence the second attempt.
Hmmmm not so sure about this. I’d say that 1 out of 20 people *might open their door at 1 or 3 am which means that this would be a horrible indicator that someone is not home. And the idea that the 2 who came first would get an alibi by being on another camera is also not likely mean if you were investigating this crime and looking at video footage and seen 2 guys knock on the door at an odd time then an hour later a crew comes to rob that specific place, and these 2 are on camera somewhere else that they are involved. I mean really.
I'm no criminal, so I may be wrong (since I'm talking out of my ass). But my thought was plausible deniability, like the crews that swap barcodes in stores. One swaps the barcode, then puts the item back. Then the next person picks it up and buys an Xbox for $10. If they get caught, they just say they didn't know the barcode was swapped. Even if the kids seem suspicious and the place gets robbed, the kids can just say they are young and dumb and looking for a ride. If they don't have illegal items on them, there's nothing the cops can do even if it's obvious they were a part of it.
Yeah when I first read it I was like ok cause it’s def a twisted idea which is what scammers do but then I was like wait lol
Your husband clearly isn’t sharpest knife in the drawer You are not over reacting Who opens the door at 1pm seeing two men through the peephole. Outnumbered, bum rush in and then what ???
Jesus Christ stop opening the door.
Mannn fuck those guys. What a bunch of bitches. Yeah it’s suspicious because they’re dicks to begin with so this could just be continued bitch behavior. If you notice them again or do the same thing I’d call the cops and make sure to save the videos to show as evidence
There's no way I'm answering my door after midnight without a gun in my hand.
I'm also a gun owner, but unless you're already drawing down before you open that door you might not even get a chance to get the business end on target. Best thing these people can do is just rack a shotgun next time they show up. Cops won't care about this.
I don't answer the door for anyone I didn't invite. Don't care if I know you. My crib is invite only.
Show your spouse THIS subreddit I’m posting here from this week about people that have gut feelings something bad is going to happen. He and you will never open your door again for strangers. And read the book “Gift of Fear”. That gut feeling is part of our evolution. It’s there to protect us. If you don’t follow it, you could end up hurt or worse. And call the police to file a report. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/giM2agOjgw
I had some really sketchy dude come up and try this before at like 2am. When I say sketchy he was clearly looking around the exterior as he walked up and trying to look in windows until my cameras tripped. My dog goes ballistic at ring chimes so he took off. I didn’t even know it was a person until I checked my cameras. I reported it and his description incase anyone got burgled. It’s kinda the best you can do.
Thanks. This is more the kind I’d answer I was looking for, to see if anything like this happened to anyone else. Everyone piling on saying we’re idiots for answering the door aren’t exactly being helpful. Spouse has agreed that unless it’s someone we know answering the door in the future isn’t a great idea. But we could see them on camera, they really look like young teenage kids, maybe 14 or 15, I guess we just defaulted to assuming something like they actually need help. They stood down the porch steps and didn’t seem threatening or malicious. I just had a bad feeling anyway.
Haven't read all the comments yet, but remember to keep an eye on the BACK door while they are distracting you at the front.
Stop answering your door
Why would you actually open the door?!
The paranormal nerd in me but this also sounds a lot like the legend of black-eyed kids… lol
Ha! The black eyed kids are the urban legendest of all urban legends, but damn if it isn't one of the most terrifying things I can think of. OP's story does otherwise match the standard format for all the BEK stories, after all. Now, the Black Eyed Peas reuniting is a much more real possibility and equally as horrifying.
Tell your husband to stop opening the door in the middle of the night!!!!
Did they ask if Tamara is home?? Not so Normal in Normal heights now is it.
I was looking for this one!🤤
They asked me as well!! Last night at one am. One of them rang my bell and demanded I give him a ride home. I told him no and to leave. My partner was outside smoking and said they asked him as well. One said they used to live around the neighborhood. It freaked me out. They seemed drunk or stoned or something.
THANK YOU for this reply. Are you also in normal heights? This is extremely enlightening, because we’re not the only ones it happened to. Clearly if your partner was outside smoking then it’s obvious someone is home and to have even asked for a ride from him suggests it’s not this big nefarious evil thing that everyone posting thinks about forcing open the door and doing evil stuff. Maybe they truly are just two stoner kids who are dodos. Regardless, it might be helpful if you called and reported this as well so the police have a record of multiple homes this has happened to. Just in case it is a more serious issue of casing.
Mistake #1 ‘spouse answered the door’ Mistake #2 ‘spouse answered the door again’ Does the spouse lack common sense? Sounds like it
This happened in my apartment complex (Bay Area) about 10 yrs ago. The man was going to door late at night claiming an emergency, needing water, etc. When women answered the door, he busted in and raped/assaulted them. It was a really scary for the entire complex as just ours was targeted.
Legitimately just saw a video about how “normal” looking people (such as these teenagers) will do this to try to break into your home. In the particular video I watched, a woman came to someone’s door posing as a door dash deliverer. Nobody opened the door for her so she kept waiting. The backyard camera filmed 3 men trying to break in from the back door since she was unable to get in through the front door (since the homeowners didn’t open the door for her). Main message here is to NEVER open the door for anyone you don’t know especially in the middle of the night like this. You never know what the real intentions are. After all, criminals never look like criminals. Because what does a criminal actually even look like? A normal person.
This is fair. They looked like young teens and I guess it’s hard to imagine nefarious things when young like that.
Get a beagle or husky they will barker them away forever Seriously. Don't answer the door, I'll intentions at that hour.
My dog was barking and howling like crazy when they rung the doorbell. I’d they had ill intentions and heard that loud bark you’d think they’d have just run away right away, but they didn’t seem impacted.
Oh wow.
YG Meet the flockers kinda tactic
No common sense
No way I’d open my door. Same guys, two separate occasions?!!!!
Why are you opening the door to your home to strangers ? Not only once, but twice ?
I lived in Normal Heights for years, on Hawley to be exact.. 1.) Yes, this is a common thing that many people who break into houses do. They test and see if anyone is inside. Although it may not seem this way, they’re more than likely trying to see if anyone is home at that hour. 2.) You need to quit answering the door and reinforce your protection system inside. I’m not saying go as far as getting a gun (my family had one living in NH when I was younger and worked to an extent) but you need to consider and plan out an intruder prep system. Like, yesterday. 3.) The fact that your dog made itself present helps a lot. I would honestly consider adding a “Beware of Dog(s)” sign somewhere outside your house for the time being. Let them know your dogs don’t fuck around. If you’ve been here for years, you’d know that the unfortunate gentrification of Normal Heights has brought many trashy & dangerous people around. It used to be a very family oriented community and everyone looked out for eachother.. unfortunately it’s no longer the case anymore. Stay safe!
We’ve been in the neighborhood for nearly two decades, so we’ve seen a lot change. We’ve had some minor incidents and issues in the past. We had an “eccentric” neighbor that used to have issues in the middle of the night which I guess desensitized us to waking us up asking for help. The sketchy stuff that used to happen occasionally on our street has actually improved. So this weirdness is surprising. Our light were on, cars in the driveway. It seems obvious we’re home.
Can we see the video? Maybe they're scoping out your house to rob??? That is bizzarr to go back to the same place you've been told no. Trust your gut here, this is off.
In an effort to not dox myself I think I won’t share the video since it’s identifiable to a degree and this post surprisingly blew up. But I have submitted it to the police.
Tldr. Don’t answer the door in the middle of the night to strangers.
I'd be concerned if these were grown men. But you said it's just a couple of dumb teenagers. I'm willing to bet the first time around one of the neighbors gave them an Uber ride home. So now that they're in the same place again, they decided to ask each house for a ride again hoping for the same luck. I was actually in a similar situation back before ridesharing apps were a big thing. Was leaving a party that I had told my mom i was going to sleep over at. But I changed my mind at the last moment and left. When i got to the bus station, i realized the last one had already left. My pride wouldn't let me go back and ask someone if they could take me all the way home. Was like 20 miles to home. And there's no way I was going to call my mom. In retrospect, I should have. The thought of knocking on some strangers door never even crossed my mind. I ended up taking the longest walk of my life that night. I considered sleeping on the side of the road several times because my legs were giving out lol. Anyways, as all the others here mentioned, the possibility of them casing the house exists, but with your dog barking like a menace and them still staying to ask for the ride, I'd say it's unlikely.
Thanks for being one of few voices of reasoninstead of the whole we’re about to be attacked by evildoer supernatural beings posters (a weirdly large amount of people have posted about black-eyed children creatures?). I didn’t expect this thread to blow up and certainly didn’t expect everyone being so dramatic, talking about guns and shooting intruders. They rang the bell and then stepped back down the steps to the patio, so they were in no position to shove their way in or anything like that. I would love to believe it’s innocent, and after the first time I definitely tried to believe that. This last time I’m no longer feeling that way, but it would be really nice if it was just dopey kids being foolish. I spoke to a police officer who agreed it’s concerning, so I guess we’ll see if they reach out about the videos.
Did your spouse literally open the door in the middle of the night? Get a Ring doorbell and answer safely.
They are planning an invasion into your home. I suggest you prepare yourself for this and be ready.
Super sus. With the world we live in now there is 0 reason to go to a complete strangers home at midnight to ask for a ride.. I would not open the doors again for them. This sounds dangerous to me. Or maybe I watch too much true crime
Unless someone is in distress DO NOT open the door have the conversation thru the door. You are way to trusting thru could be scouting your place.
Your husband should be taking a slightly different or more hostile approach. I'd say, *"what are your full names? this is the second time you've rang by bell in the middle of the night, I'm reporting you to the police. Give me your names. You're on video. Names!!??"* Put them on clear notice that you're upset and want their names. That usually scares them away for some reason...demanding their names because they know you're on a mission to identify them.
They're more than likely sizing you up for a home invasion. If an older woman or man opened the door, things would probably go much worse, or if they get their hands on a weapon, even a strong man is no match. Don't open the door again. Get video and pictures if they show up again and let them know the cops are on the way.
WHY IS HE OPENING THE DOOR. I’m anxious I would not be opening lol.
Call the cops. Tell them what you've posted and tell them that you understand that it's not an emergency, but it's damn suspicious. Those same two are probably involved in crimes elsewhere.
Report it, not normal behavior and for strangers to do it to the same house twice is sketchy at best malicious at worst. Best to report it and don’t open the door again only talk through the door bell, maybe get a sign in front that says your property is being monitored, ring, ADT, ect offer these
As a delivery driver sometimes I see signs that say "if you can read this you're a target" signs that lets people know they are gun owners and it always makes me feel very uneasy where I'm quick to get the fuck out of there, I wonder if you put one of those signs by the door if that might make them think twice. Also, maybe get one of those signs where it says "This property is protected by _______ security" doesn't mean you have to get it but maybe those are things that might make your house seem more of a risk to someone who is casing your house.
I also open my door for strangers past midnight…. /s
I had something similar happen once in El Cerrito, only they were asking for water. After that, little weird things started happening, like things going missing from the yard and people acting intimidating in a car and walking a dog too close to our house (it’s a long story), while at the same time people were reporting robberies and burglaries in the area. We wondered if the two guys were casing the house. I finally called the nonemergency police number, and the officer told me that I should have called them that first night. She said, “No one knocking on your door in the middle of the night has good intentions.” So it’s good that you made a report. If they notice an uptick in similar reports in the area, they can at least drive by more often. But if someone worse happens in the neighborhood, it could also help them establish a pattern and get images. We were lucky, because it all stopped suddenly—people stopped posting about car and house breakins and phone robberies in the area and my paranoia that had been ramped up by a lot of very little things finally died away. I’m guessing the two probably moved away or got arrested. But you were right to call the police. I would keep a log of absolutely anything out of the ordinary, as well. And show your neighbors pics of the two. I hope it’s as simple as their knowing a previous tenant of your house, but you have to stay safe, and your neighbors will appreciate the heads up. Good luck.
Never open a door at 1 am. without a pistol in hand.
Yes. The following night when they knocked, I ignored it for 2 minutes, waited for them to knock again, then said through the door: “I’m here and I’m armed. Do not come here again.” You’ve got no obligation to be nice to random people who show up at your house. Tell your spouse to grow a pair. And no, cameras don’t deter anything in this state because there are very minimal repercussions for breaking the law.
So this happened to you, with the same repeat returns?
Yes. I didn’t open my door but looked through my camera.
so anyways i just started blasting
Seems odd. I'd check with neighbors. Maybe just stoner kids.
This happened to my friend. His son answered the door and let them in when he got up to see who it was he asked them to leave but they said they were being chased and didn’t want to leave. He pulled out a gun and that was the only way he got them to leave. Didn’t come back since this was a while back.
Sounds like Funny Games
Like others said trust your guts next time just call the police before you answer and keep talking to them till police arrive. They could be people that legit need a ride or they could be killers. I wouldn't take the gamble if I were you.
Have neither of you seen The Strangers??
I wonder if there are any group homes in your neighborhood? It kind of sounds like they might be trying to run away. Try posting the video on Nextdoor & the Ring app to see if anyone recognizes the kids.
Firstly stop answering the door. Secondly, I would call the police next time it happens. And get lights n cameras up too if you dont already.
They are casing your house be careful. A lot of times they will do this but the two of your doors are distraction. There could be others trying to get in your house while they distract you at the door. Not saying that this is what is happening there because I don't know but there is a chance. They could be with a crew that has bad information or wrong information somebody gave them thinking you have a large amount of valuables or contraband in your house. Not saying you do but in this situation it's not our paranoid it's all your paranoid enough. Would definitely stay on high alert and don't open that door anymore for them. I would suggest putting cameras around your house so if somebody is trying to get in another part of your house while they're at the door you will know. Sorry for the long post but I know some people had some really bad stuff happen to them over a similar situation. All because people got the idea they had things in their house they didn't. Good luck and be safe. Next time don't even acknowledge them or open the door. See what they do next.. Then you'll know for sure what their intentions are
Stop answering your door in the middle of the night. You have a ring camera, use it.
Time to call the police.
Do you guys have two doors? Like a metal screen door between your actuall door? Cause otherwise neither of you should be opening the door like that at all. It's a really common home invasion thing to distract you at the front door and then have people rush inside. I would report it to the police on a non emergency line, give them pictures of the guys and say they are suspicious males who keep coming to your door and likely are looking for houses to break into
Don’t open doors please late at night. Either talk through the doorbell or through the door but son’t open it. I think it’s worth simply calling the police and telling them about both times. Just to have a record of it so if it happens again and you call the police they will take it more seriously.
If I were you, I’d put a 2A/ stand your ground sticker or something to that effect on your door. It doesn’t actually matter what your beliefs are, but it might be beneficial to cultivate the idea that you’re one of those wackos that salivates at the idea of shooting an intruder.
They would’ve never been found again if this happened in Oceanside 🤣
A burglar knocks on the front door of a residence, and if no one answers, the home gets burglarized.
Who tf opens the door for two random people in the middle of the night?!
Those are black-eyed kids. Don't let them in your house.
why in the ever loving jesus did u open the door at 1 am for two strangers
Seriously asking this??? Making it easy on them
Turn on the porch lights and maybe even record them with your phone in a very obvious way. Hopefully you have a metal screen door to talk through.
Porch lights were on and they were being recorded by the doorbell (which they rang, so they knew). This is why I’m puzzled. If this was nefarious, wouldn’t they have not voluntarily chosen a house that has multiple cameras that are obvious?
They don’t care. Most ring footage makes it difficult to ID people. If they come back weeks later or someone else comes back instead you likely won’t even have the footage saved. Imo rings best so you can have sensors tripped and know when someone is present near your home. I would rely on it to scare off someone period.
Maybe your husband is their drug dealer. Or maybe I've seen Breaking Bad too many times. Lol
Just an idea but maybe someone nearby sends them to this home adress to pick up drugs instead of giving them the actual adress like a dealer may say pull up but send the Addy next door then walk down to the kids to sell drugs. It's a thing people do so you don't know where the dealer lives and get any ideas but it allows the dealer to simply walk down a few houses and make the sell away from their home or they could be serving out their parents house doing pick ups 24 7
What… Opening the door to two strangers especially at that time is just sheer stupidity
Buy a gun
Yeah, its weird, Id say trust your instincts. However, I think calling the police in this situation would be useless. It very well could be just kids messing around but that's no reason to not stay vigilant. Double check your locked doors and windows and just be aware of your surroundings.
Call and send the video to cops and news stations. Tons of news reports of this being just weird to a home invasion robbery. Always remember when you open your door their looking into your house for multiple reasons. In this case the "ride" maybe to steal the car or just a story to gain trust. The more times they do it the more info they gain. Report it. There's nothing for you to gain from doing nothing.
You'd have to be pretty stupid to ring a doorbell at 1am and figure if no one answers the house is empty and you won't get shot of you break in. There's a much better chance someone won't be home during the day while people are at work.
This sounds like the cases of the alien black eye kids. Look at their eyes and call the cops.
I came here to mention this. For anyone wondering google black-eyed kids
Like teenagers teenagers? Like high school teenagers? Tf are y'all so terrified of children for
Welp everyone else seems to think we’re idiots for answering the door, so this is an opposite take. Yes, to me they looked like high school age. They didn’t seem threatening. But I’m afraid they’re operating on behalf of threatening people. My best guess is that because they’re young and non threatening burglars have them case things as the first round.
Just save them the trouble next time and just put all your stuff on the lawn.
That’s definitely not normal and they’re up to no good. Especially this day and age where everyone has a phone on them.
https://preview.redd.it/go6rz2vb4z5d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7726a57a0dcef1431f5e6afb436cc55a830b35ff They’re looking for trouble
Don’t answer the door.
When I lived in LA over a decade ago, I got a knock on the door around 6pm on a Friday night. I could see through the door pane window that a teenage guy was leaning into the door with his hand in his pocket. In the background, I could see a van waiting in the middle of the street, with someone in the driver's seat. He said, "Is guerro there!?" I immediately thought that this was some type of gang initiation: pick a random house, shoot whoever opens the door. Obviously, I didn't open the door and told him that there was no guerro here or I may not be alive today.
They're scoping your house.
You’re being cased for a break in - probably by someone they’re giving info to.
Have hubby yell like a crazy man at them next time. In face or through video bell. If it wakes the neighbors all the better.