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How would you handle this situation?

T Vance

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Over the past several months, a few times a month (roughly 5 -8) I have noticed a truck parked parralel with my driveway (like he would block my driveway if he was on it) across the street. The guy is always in his truck with it running, always on the phone, always in the exact same spot, and usually seems to be staring at my house.

I have walked outside and seen him there, and he usually leaves shortly after I come out. I have also come home and seen him there, and again he leaves almost immediatly after I get out of my vehicle.

I've thought about going and talking to him, but since he is technically on public property (well the shoulder of a road that is attached to a park) I'm not sure what to say. There is a parking lot about 20-30 yards from where he always parks, but he never parks or goes in it.

He's had to of seen me OCing when I'm outside, or getting out of my vehicle. I've even made it a point to have the side of my body my holster is on face him so he can see it. Since I don't know what his intentions for constantly parking there, I assume the worst and want him to know I'm armed (which could also be a bad thing if he has intentions of B&E when he knows I'm not there).

How would you handle the situation?
 

CoonDog

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First, I don't have any experience with being stalked, but if you are being stalked, then yes, I think you need to be proactive about it.

Just to be sure you're not off your rocker, I would get a friend (not related) to go with you as an eye witness (and armed security?) and approach the vehicle in an attempt to make contact. If he flees the scene, that's probably a bad sign. But if you can get him to talk, you'll at least get some intel, good or bad.

You may also want to start formally documenting these occurrences into a log. Get the plate number, vehicle description, person's description, note the time and place, draw a sketch, take photos, etc. Anything you can think of. After you have a 3 episodes documented, you have a pattern of behavior that you can report AND substantiate with your log.

Good luck T.
 

sprinklerguy28

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I had a similar situation a few years ago. I didn't want to approach as I was unsure of the persons motives. After seeking advise from an attorney friend, I kept a log and took pictures with time and date stamp whenever possible. After about 2 weeks and 7 documented cases I noticed the man walking through the neighbors yard along the fence we shared. I called the local LEO's who came to investigate. Turned out to be a neighbors ex who was stalking and had a PPO. The log I kept and photos assisted her in prosecution in court. Either way document as much as possible. If it turns out to be nothing then good, if not you have information on your side. Just like carrying, its better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.
 

UCWT

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Agreed that if you confront him bring a friend or two!
State you are with the neighborhood watch and people have observed him and would like to know his intentions.

software out there for free that turns your web cam into a motion activated camera that kicks on when something enters the frame or time laps to snap a pic from 1 pic every couple of seconds to 1 every 24 hrs to see what's going on when your not there before you chat with him.

Could be anything from drug activity to some guy having a cigarette before he returns home but yeah I would want to know why he is there and what he is up to.

Be safe!
 

malignity

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Approach him, demand his name; get his license plate.

If he doesn't give you his name, take his plate to the police, file a restraining order. Maybe extreme, but it'll get him to go away unless he wants to get tossed in jail.
 

T Vance

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malignity wrote:
Approach him, demand his name; get his license plate.

If he doesn't give you his name, take his plate to the police, file a restraining order. Maybe extreme, but it'll get him to go away unless he wants to get tossed in jail.
I don't want to go that far. I have no RAS that he is going to commit a crime, and where is parking is technically public property (I live directly across the street from a park that goes right from asphalt to grass - no curb).
 

T Vance

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I think I'll document from now on, and after having 3 pictures on file I will then approach him the 4th time and give him the "neighbohood watch" pitch.

Just out of curiosty, why should I have a friend with me? Like I said, he seems to leave almost immediatly after I come home or out into the yard, so getting a friend over there in time is not likely. How about just having my camera phone set on "video" and recording it.
 

maybeifulucky

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I have had the same problem from time to time. I found out that people sitting in front of my house were logging into my neighbors unsecured internet. I contacted all my neighbors and helped them secure their internet signal. Problem solved, no more strange cars/vans sitting out front.

good luck :cool:
 

Venator

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T Vance wrote:
I think I'll document from now on, and after having 3 pictures on file I will then approach him the 4th time and give him the "neighbohood watch" pitch.

Just out of curiosty, why should I have a friend with me? Like I said, he seems to leave almost immediatly after I come home or out into the yard, so getting a friend over there in time is not likely. How about just having my camera phone set on "video" and recording it.

You want a witness or atleast have a video camera running. The guy could say you pulled your gun on him and then it's his word against yours. Always have a witness if you can. Document everything, pictures, log his activities, and as above plate number etc... Get a good picture of him, he is in public so no expectation of privacy.
 

mastiff69

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video, photograph, document, call the police and explain that there is the same strange vehicle in front of your house, and in the area. DO NOT APPROACH, we pay the cops to do that job. Now if they come to you that is anotherstory.JMHO

So far you have done the right thing, you have made it clear that you won't be a willing sheeple.

Or go out on your property and take a photograph with flash, and wait for a response. He could be an investigator, under cover, private dick,
 

Michigander

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An easy potential solution would be to give the cops the same info you've posted, in addition to the license plate. They will run it.

If he's got a record, your description should be more than enough for a Terry stop. Even if he doesn't have a record, it sounds like he's casing your house, and a court might even agree his actions are grounds for a stop. Most of us here have certainly been stopped for less.:uhoh:
 

myusername

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Ha! beat me to it. I Agree, probably PI insurance/spousal investigation work


Had a similar situation. for a couple months a dark SUV (actually a couple different ones) would park across the street with two guys just sitting there in it. My wife called the non-emergency number for the sheriff's dept and gave them a description of the vehicle with plate. Literally about 5 min after her phone call they took off like a bat out of hell. A deputy arrived a few minutes later and let us know that an unnamed agency had informed them of an insurance investigation going on in the neighborhood and that was what he assumed it was. They obviously had a scanner. They must have also found a new parking space because we never saw them again. I had actually seen them parked at the other end of our street as well, and they might have known something was up cause I know they got several slow drive bys and pretty hard looks from me. Cops drove through for a few days every couple hours, I don't know if they ever saw and talked to the guys or not, but hey, my wife could relax cause we didn't have to look out the front window and see them any more. She's been known to talk to strangers through the locked front door and/or answer it with a .45 in her hand, and is home enough that she doesn't miss anything in our neighborhood.
 

Nutczak

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I have had P.I. checking up on me a few times. and I have also caught guys stalking women on a few occasions. it is quite obvious, Maybe this guy could be doing either one, or he is innocent and just wasting time while he is supposed to be working?


Get photographic evidence and log the events, talk to a detective (that you feel can be trusted) and have them confront the guy parked there. That is what they get paid to do, make them earn their money. A few digital photos of the vehicle, plate numbers, and the individual taken to the P.D. should get the ball rolling. O rjust call in a suspicious vehicle call and have a marked car show up.

II had a P.I. watching me forseveral days trying to disprove my injury claims from a car wreck.
During the non-binding mediation the oppsing attorneyshowed videotape of me flippin the bird to the investigator during one of his stalkings.
 

T Vance

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If it is a PI, and they were watching me, I'm not sure why they would be. I don't have ANY ex-wives, or injury claims, or anythingsimilar tothat affect.
 

jeremiahJohnson

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T Vance wrote:
If it is a PI, and they were watching me, I'm not sure why they would be. I don't have ANY ex-wives, or injury claims, or anythingsimilar tothat affect.
He might not necessarily be watching you, he could be watching some one next door, or it could be there watching a friend who visits you often, or it could be a township ordinance person, or a rep o guy...may be one of your friends wife is having him watched?
 

mikestilly

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CrossPistols wrote:
T Vance wrote:
If it is a PI, and they were watching me, I'm not sure why they would be. I don't have ANY ex-wives, or injury claims, or anything similar to that affect.
He might not necessarily be watching you, he could be watching some one next door, or it could be there watching a friend who visits you often, or it could be a township ordinance person, or a rep o guy...may be one of your friends wife is having him watched?

He could be from ACORN lol
 
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