What Would You Do if You Moved to a New Town...Only to Have Your 14 Year Old Burgle the Neighbours?

Last August we got a new family in the neighbourhood. No one knew them, or where they moved from. There was a woman, a man, and two teenaged boys. They didn't seem super friendly, or make any efforts to reciprocate welcomes with meet-ups, etc. The town is small, but relatively drama free, so if they want to be loners, no worries.

But then the complaints began. Not long after they moved in, another neighbour almost hit their dog when it had lurched away from its chain in the driveway. Once is one thing (dogs probably shouldn't be on a chain in the driveway all day, but not my business), but the dog continued to escape, it ripped up gardening, chased other pets, almost got hit numerous times, so the local animal shelter was called, and sufficient evidence was collected to remove the dog.

Loud music was played all night, every Thursday-Friday, from soon after they moved in, to almost Christmas, when the town enforced noise by-laws after numerous complaints. All was quiet until the weather turned warm again in May, and the bass rumbled to life again. Police visited numerous times after this.

Loud screaming matches could be heard, until April, when it appeared the man moved out, leaving the mother and sons. At this point, the older boy began walking with crutches and eventually a limp (no telling how this happened), and began asking people for rides at the gas station, grocery store etc. More than a few people complained, and he was talked to.

The younger of the two would walk around asking people for cigarettes. He would approach my partner a few times a week for almost two months, even though he doesn't smoke, and told the boy each and every time.

Behaviour like this is just a red flag to me, personally.

Now, there have been a rash of break-ins and attempted break-ins all over our greater rural area (including an attempted break in at my own home). Thousands of dollars worth of "worthless" goods were stolen. Clothes, iPods, stereo equipment, liquor, etc. I say these are worthless because any attempt to sell them in such a small area would lead to instantaneous capture.

Well, one break in victim got home just at the right time. When he saw that the burglar was just a kid, and a friend in a get away car, he decided to follow them. He followed them right to the neighbours house. He called the police, and when they searched the house the next day they found all of these stolen things just hanging in closets, in their dirty clothes, hooked up to the television, being used, smashed...not exactly the smartest or most profitable crime syndicate.

So, obviously the mother of this kid knew he was stealing these things. There is no way she didn't, you'll never convince me otherwise. The day after the kid was arrested and confessed to the crimes, (and after a shouting match that woke at least 4 neighbours) they packed and seemed to have abandoned the house.

Now, one day isn't really enough for our small population to have run them out of town, honestly, and I don't think that's what happened. Most people understand that kids can be absolute a$$#*|es, with or without good or bad parenting.

So now we're all wondering... where the heck did they go? Has this happened before to bad after effects? Did the man come back and after a fight, move them to wherever he's been? I have a mole in the police department(lol), and other than telling me the name of the female neighbour, I can't get any more details at all.

Who are these people? What would you do if your 14 year old was a kleptomaniac home invader, and wasn't even smart enough to steal things worthwhile?

The mystery of these neighbours is so intriguing to me that I've begun an outline for a short novella. What makes people like this tick?

They've lived here, in a rural town with few local jobs, since August. It's almost certain that the man purchased the house for around $110,000 with a mortgage, but the woman and boys have been living there with no vehicle since early April. The boys don't go to school. No one in town seems to have had a positive interaction with them, and no one knows where they moved from. I've never seen them at the grocery store; the post office; the pharmacy.

Please add your wild speculation.

Gypsies?

a reply to: Atsbhct

Some people are entitled, connected, un touchable. And they know it.

You seem like a really nosey neighbor. Try minding your own business, or move.

a reply to: intrptr

This is so true, but who could these people possibly be connected to I wonder? You can never truly judge a book by its cover, so I can't say for sure, but they didn't seem like the type of people who would have any type of political or business connections, not even law enforcement connections.

The only thing I could think of was perhaps a connection to one of the motorcycle gangs in the area. If they're in trouble with one of these notoriously vengeful gangs...I could really see why you might move to Podunk nowhere.



a reply to: Justso

We don't really live in the right area for gypsies (Canada).

a reply to: Jefferton

No one here is a very nosy neighbour. It's just impossible to not see. They attempted to rob my own house, so I'm not really feeling too guilty about writing an anonymous post about why people might decide to up and move after an event like this.

Familys like this "burn" one place then move on to the next, burn that and move to the next, it become a way of life. Noone want to help becouse it costs too much, but everyone is glad they leave. If you think about it , its sad.

a reply to: Atsbhct

I have no speculations for you, but we spent seven years living in small town Iowa (pop 2000) and now you are making me miss it, lol. Only in itty bitty towns does speculation about newcomers focus with such laserlike intensity. In larger areas this family's troubles would just be news blurbs and statistics, and no one would care or wonder much about them. People in small towns stick together closer and look out for each other. If this family had started off more neighborly, they might have experienced some great support to help them with some of their troubles.

There are folks who think they can escape their troubles and start fresh by moving to a "wholesome" rural small town, but unfortunately they find that their troubles follow them wherever they go. Then their suburban/city kids get bored with small town life and find themselves getting into even more trouble than before. Sounds like that might be the case here.

a reply to: eeyipes

I do love small town life. It could get boring for a city kid, or a kid not inclined to doing "country" things, especially if you didn't know other kids in the area.

No one really speculated about them until the robbery charges were put out, then it became...wait...who are these people??

This is the type of house that mysteriously burns down one normal afternoon. Just a coincidence of course.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Your nosiness is off the charts.. you would be the perfect neighbor of my nightmares!

No judgement just observation.

IHO, the mother may have a drug issue or a mental health issue. The mother seems to have been distracted by something. She could also just be a lazy, #ty mother.

Unless you went to get read the deed for the house, you cant be certain the house wasn't being rented just because it was purchased by someone..."the man" as you called him.

The "clepto" teenager wouldn't be mine because he would have worn a whopping so horrible the first time I caught him stealing that he would forever keep his hands off other peoples belongings. ( plz save your anti-corporal punishment soapboxes, Im southern, in my 30s, and from the era of when spanking children was a sign of effecting parenting)

Some folks are never integrated into any part of society and thus feel justly alienated and get angry at the bad "others." No real mystery.

It's a sad cycle where anyone who could integrate the "problem child" just won't bother as the alienated is now such an a-hole it would be a years long process akin to teaching Helen Keller to speak... .and sad trash being integrated doesn't usually get a novel or film made of the process.

What Would You Do if You Moved to a New Town...Only to Have Your 14 Year Old Burgle the Neighbours?

-Discipline them.


Sounds like a garden variety meth family.
They will be there at least until they are evicted.
If they are, good luck, they are sociopaths, don't make yourself a target when dealing with them.
I'd have someone else call the cops.

a reply to: Jefferton

Hmmmmmm

Is the story too close to home in some feature or another?

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: Jefferton

Hmmmmmm

Is the story too close to home in some feature or another?

Nope. And considering the number of lil star shaped things above my post, in comparison to the Op's post, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

a reply to: Mandroid7

Hmm, could be drug related, but I'm not up on what drugs besides pot get used regularly in my area, so I have no clue.

isn't this why you have guns? kids on your property get a warning shot and then a visit to the morgue?

Would love sometimes to shoot the neighbours kids here in blighty when they're being little s---ts but i've not got a shotty

But seriously kids need guidance and if the parents aint giving any then perhaps it is time for some rough love....whats the rules on rock salt rounds etc over the pond to teach a non lethal lesson?

a reply to: Mandroid7

The oligarchy knows that such horrendously RAD afflicted individuals are so brain damaged that they will LIKELY never amount to anything constructive over the whole of their lives. It tends to consider them . . . human garbage only good for . . . dumping.

There are exceptions and tons of work with professional help CAN turn individuals around dramatically. But the person must want to change etc. etc. etc.

It would not surprise me if drugs etc. were involved.

HOWEVER,

DISCIPLINE

WITHOUT

SUFFICIENT EMOTIONALLY BONDED LOVE, HEALTHY AFFECTION, AFFIRMATIONS OF WORTH

WILL VIRTUALLY ALWAYS

RESULT IN REBELLION AND MORE REBELLION.

Certainly those kids need to be in an environment long term that has very strict limits etc. etc. but also caring adults etc. etc.

Not likely.

More likely, the kids will end up in prison and the beat will go on.

a reply to: Jefferton

Well I suppose it's not really a contest so much as it was just me telling a story, but if it makes you feel good to "win" ATS today, have at it.

a reply to: Maxatoria

Lol, I think the rules are...don't shoot children with rock salt, but that is funny.