Men Break Into Vietnam Veteran’s Home Unaware It’s A Trap

Safe Neighborhood

Protecting his wife and home was Robert’s first priority.

They lived in a peaceful and safe neighborhood, because of this, Robert never thought that anything could harm him or his family. But now the unexpected was happening and he knew that he had to act fast.

The Bad News

Trying to have a relaxing morning, Robert’s best friend Tom, began unloading all the stories he had heard just in the past week about the neighborhood.

Used to Tom’s over-exaggeration in stories, Robert was not immediately alarmed but noticed a common and unsettling theme of theft and a lack of security. Robert got a bad gut feeling, and it only grew in the days ahead.

Strange Sound

Robert suddenly awoke from his sleep in the middle of the night, feeling disoriented by the loud sound that filled his quiet home.

Trying to locate where the sound was coming from, he realized it was coming from outside. The way the sound got closer to his house with every passing moment is what got him on his feet.

Beyond The Window

Once Robert was up, the music came to a complete halt. He thought to himself “Did the noise stop because I noticed it? Is someone watching me?”

Almost instantly, Robert’s eyes fixated on the window as he slowly inched towards it. Locating the sound was all Robert could think of as he suddenly saw what was awaiting him.

Backyard Infiltration

His mind was not only filled with shock, his vision was filled with the sight of a group of men who were trespassing on his property, slowly infiltrating his backyard.

Robert looked at each and every one of their faces in order to identify at least one of them. “What are they trying to do?” Robert gasped, accidentally waking his wife up.

Go Back To Sleep

Startled by her husband, Suzan sat up straight in bed and questioned Robert as to why he was up in the middle of the night, staring blankly at the window.

Robert quickly replied “Oh, I just felt a bit thirsty. I’m going to grab a drink. Go back to sleep.” Very cautiously, Robert grabbed the keys to their bedroom on his way out.

Slow But Cautious

After leaving the bedroom, Robert quietly locked the door behind him, ensuring that his wife remained safe. He crept down the stairs.

Robert’s mind fixated on calling the police. If all else failed, the police could be a backup plan. Then, he heard a conversation that distracted him from dialing 911.

The Conversation Outside

Hearing the unrecognizable voices talk about how they planned on robbing him clean no matter what comes in their way, Robert clenched his fists, feeling like his role as the house protector was being challenged.

Their statements were followed with loud laughter as he heard them get closer to the house. Unable to remain calm, he accidentally dropped his phone to the ground.

Call 911

As soon as the phone crashed onto the floor, the overwhelming sound caught the men’s attention, making them go silent. Knowing that the jig was up, Robert quickly picked up the phone and dialed 911.

While on the phone, he heard the men outside start yelping. Clearly, something had gotten in the way of their master plan.

Buying Some Time

Hearing the troubled noises that the men were making, Robert’s heart was filled with hope. Now, he knew that all the traps he had set outside were working.

His sly tactics bought him and the police some time. But, just when he felt safe enough, the knob to his front door started twisting.

Open Sesame

Just in time, the police sirens sounded from a distance, making the intruder leave the door knob altogether. With all his newfound confidence, Robert marched straight towards his front door to bask in his victory.

Robert was always ready for a challenge. After all, he was a Vietnam veteran – he had his own knowledge of canny traps.

Robert Is A Veteran

Robert had fought in Vietnam. His training had been grueling, but it had hardened and sharpened his mind. 

Even in his twilight years, he still possessed all the knowledge and muscle memory that he had developed all those years ago to stay alive. Even now, he still used all his knowledge for his favorite hobby.

Building Booby Traps

Since Robert had learned that robberies in his town had spiked, he decided to spend all his spare time building elaborate booby traps for his yard. 

So, while the unsuspecting thugs had thought they could rob an old man blind, they didn’t realize that they had picked the wrong yard to infiltrate.

Obstacles

Robert had laid the entire yard with tripwires and other traps. He had used all the natural obstacles on the perimeter of his yard – like the trees, fences, and bushes) to channel any threats that arose into a single location.

There, intruders would come into contact with his favorite “log trap” as they approached the house. 

The Swinging Log Trap

Robert had two tall trees on his perimeter, which he used to hang his trap. Two criss-crossed ropes held two heavy logs in place, which were set to swing at face level like pendulums when the trip wire was activated. 

Unfortunately, the men must have somehow bypassed this trap. But, unluckily for them, there were more where that came from. 

The Pits

In strategic places all over his property, Robert had also built small pit traps. He shallowly dug out the earth in a few spots and lined the bottom with uneven rocks. 

If an intruder were to walk into one, they could break an ankle. Robert had toyed with the thought of digging a few deeper pits, but what he was doing wasn’t exactly legal…

The Legality Of Mantraps

In the United States, a mantrap is defined as a mechanical security device, designed to catch poachers or trespassers. Mantraps that use deadly force are entirely prohibited. 

In some cases, trespassers have even successfully sued property owners for any damages caused by a mantrap. The property owner is liable for any death or injury caused by mantraps – even when it happens to burglars.

Robert’s Masterpiece

Robert had chosen a trap that would be home-safe and unrecognizable to outsiders. He had connected a wire to a crutch and attached pepper gel spray that would take over any intruder’s senses if they tried to pass through the trap.

But the traps weren’t the only things Robert put the unsuspecting trespassers through.

Caught On Tape

Despite the fact that some of the intruders were able to escape the scene, what they did not know was that Robert had it all on tape.

He placed high-quality cameras in the most obscure of places. And the intruders caught on-scene and on tape would face hefty consequences.

Charges

The intruders were charged with attempted theft, trespassing, and attempted forcible entry. They then reported back to Robert, informing him that the reason behind targeting him was not personal because they were targeting the whole area.

These predators didn’t discriminate – Robert’s area was known to be filled with people from an older demographic, so any house would do.

The Legend Continues

After the incident spread in the neighborhood, Robert got elected as town mayor – for several reasons. One reason was his calculative mind that always thinks ahead.

One of his main achievements was promoting security in his townhouse meetings. Everyone now knows not to mess with the whole town, which is why it is always better to be safe than sorry. But Robert isn’t the only one who has taken his home security into his own hands.

A Deceiving Term

Some victims of porch piracy think even the term ‘porch pirate’ is too cute a description to use for these common thieves.

For many people, they’re the worst this society has to offer. Especially for Christine Hyatt who, like Robert, has her own war story of misgivings dealing with these low-lives.

Another Victim

Currently, America is going through a porch pirate epidemic and Christine Hyatt is one homeowner that has suffered greatly at their hands.

With a daughter with diabetes, Christine relies on her packages to deliver some much-needed medical devices for her child. Yet, all too many times, her life-saving equipment has been stolen.

Stolen Medical Supplies

Christine claims that over 20 packages of hers have been stolen this year alone. Six of those packages contained her daughter’s medical supplies.

It made her become as revenge-focused as Robert and she sent up many prank boxes for the thieves. Their neighborhood is one of the worst-hit by porch pirates and it was leaving its mark.

Feeling Plagued

When a neighborhood is tormented by porch pirates, it soon becomes an issue of safety. If you have thieves willing to drive around your neighborhood in broad daylight, targeting your house, then what else are they capable of doing?

It was a question that plagued Christine and a real motivation behind her revenge. But not everyone agreed.

Defending Thieves

A thread on Reddit debating the topic was surprisingly full of people jumping to the porch pirates’ defense. “It’s all fun and games until one of the would-be robbers sues for PTSD” one Reddit user typed.

Another user wrote, “I don’t get this. You’re placing your property out there. It’s not the thief’s fault if he decided to take it and then gain access to its contents”.

Flawed Logic

Apparently, some people think that unless your property is in your house, then it’s a free-for-all. Of course, this is absolutely false. If that were true then by this logic, parked cars or having chairs, lights, and plants in our yard means they are also up for grabs.

A homeowner’s property is anything within the territorial limits of that home. Front lawn, back lawn, side lawns – included!

Failed System

Mostly, however, people online shared a mutual hatred for thieves and a huge disappointment in how the authorities failed to deal with them.

It left many people like Robert and Christine feeling like they have no choice but to take matters into their own hands and serve justice themselves. But what would you do?

Determined

The involvement of the cops and the legal discussions around Robert’s traps may have deterred some people from pursuing it further, but Robert was different.

There was no way he was going to stop what he was doing. Especially when he was catching criminals red-handed trying to steal from him. He was also confident nobody would get seriously hurt. And time and time again, his traps proved effective.

Friendly Advice

Robert does suggest, however, that if anyone was to copy his idea of building traps, they might want to cover their backs first – for legal reasons.

He learned that it was best to tack up a “no trespassing” sign and tape a note on his gate, warning people not to enter his property. This can protect the homeowner from lawsuits if any do arise.