So remember a couple days ago someone went into our house?

[wysiwyg]

It was super weird and they didn't steal anything?

Well, they did steal some things. All the pain killers I had left over from my car accident, plus it looks like some other medicines. I found a few pill bottles out in the back yard when letting our old man out to potty. I went back inside and checked the medicine cabinet we rarely use. Sure enough, it looks picked through. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. 

Ugh. 

[Captain Serious]

Sounds like someone knew you, and knew what they were looking for.

[wysiwyg]

Sept 16, 2014 23:50:59 GMT -5 Captain Serious said:

Sounds like someone knew you, and knew what they were looking for.

That's what I'm worried about. We have a family friend who is a police officer and they suggested the same thing. That just makes me paranoid someone we KNOW did this. 

All for pills. JFC.

[bugandbibs]

This is not uncommon, be extra cautious for a repeat break-in. I'm really sorry this happened to you.

[Captain Serious]

We had painkillers with codine go missing from our ski house after allowing my in-laws to host a party there. I just pray it was a guest and not a family member that will be back in the house.

[citrusmint]

Yes, this was an "inside job". A stranger wouldn't take the risk to break into a house and not find the pills they were looking for.

Burglars are opportunistic and steal items of value, they don't generally go looking for specific items. They wouldn't bypass the TV, laptop, iPad, whatever just to rifle through a medicine cabinet that may or may not have the pills they're seeking.

[mcmel]

Assholes. I'm sorry I can't imagine all the things running through your mind right now.

[stealthmom]

Can you think of anyone who would have known those pills were there?

[nursewife]

Have you filed a police report? Important to do that if narcotics were stolen.

[RoxMonster]

How violating. I'm so sorry. It makes it worse that it might be someone you know personally.

[cinnamoncox]

You filed a report, right?
I'm so sorry your home was violated.
Here we have to sign a contract type thing if we are prescribed pain killers saying we will alert police if stolen.

If you found all the empty bottles, great, if not, someone out there has your name on the bottle. You want it on record they were stolen, not sold.

I'm so sorry. Good luck.

[jlt19]

Maybe they can get prints off your bottles?

Who would have known that you had them though? I'm pretty close to my family and they can all get in my house whenever (via garage code) and they don't even KNOW what kind of medicine we have. Unless they want to shoot themselves with an epi-pen.

[kristinschmistin]

Sept 16, 2014 23:53:30 GMT -5 wysiwyg said:

Sept 16, 2014 23:50:59 GMT -5 Captain Serious said:

Sounds like someone knew you, and knew what they were looking for.

That's what I'm worried about. We have a family friend who is a police officer and they suggested the same thing. That just makes me paranoid someone we KNOW did this. 

All for pills. JFC.

Yeah, it totally could be that.  Did you keep the pills in a common place for pills?  Like, the medicine cabinet?  Or were they in an uncommon place?

I only ask bc there have been a bunch of break-ins here (in the city) and people only break in and steal whatever pills they can get their hands on.  BUT- they also usually steal anything they can pawn to get money for drugs, too.  

[Deleted]

Sept 17, 2014 0:07:15 GMT -5 citrusmint said:

Yes, this was an "inside job". A stranger wouldn't take the risk to break into a house and not find the pills they were looking for.

Burglars are opportunistic and steal items of value, they don't generally go looking for specific items. They wouldn't bypass the TV, laptop, iPad, whatever just to rifle through a medicine cabinet that may or may not have the pills they're seeking.

I couldn't disagree more. Junkies looking for their next fix absolutely can and do take the risk to get drugs, or quick money for drugs.

Its not a stretch to think that a burglar would go straight to the medicine cabinet to find pills, since they are common in many households. I wouldn't leap to it being an inside job, honestly, wysiwyg. And let's not forget you were home, and stealing a TV isn't nearly so quick, quiet and tidy as taking a pill bottle. I wouldn't let the fear of it being someone you know keep you up at night. I'm sorry this happened to you. Our experience with a breakin last summer contributed in large part to our decision to move.

[jeaniebueller]

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if it was someone you didn't know, just because prescription pills are so widely abused now and checking a medicine cabinet seems like common sense. That said, glad you guys are okay. I would definitley file a report.

[lizrd7579]

I don't think this was an inside job. Could've been, but like @missusbee, I know people who have had break-ins where the only thing stolen was pills. It's easy to grab and most people have a cabinet just for pills.

[penelope]

Sept 17, 2014 7:03:52 GMT -5 @missusbee said:

Sept 17, 2014 0:07:15 GMT -5 citrusmint said:

Yes, this was an "inside job". A stranger wouldn't take the risk to break into a house and not find the pills they were looking for.

Burglars are opportunistic and steal items of value, they don't generally go looking for specific items. They wouldn't bypass the TV, laptop, iPad, whatever just to rifle through a medicine cabinet that may or may not have the pills they're seeking.

I couldn't disagree more. Junkies looking for their next fix absolutely can and do take the risk to get drugs, or quick money for drugs.

Its not a stretch to think that a burglar would go straight to the medicine cabinet to find pills, since they are common in many households. I wouldn't leap to it being an inside job, honestly, wysiwyg. And let's not forget you were home, and stealing a TV isn't nearly so quick, quiet and tidy as taking a pill bottle. I wouldn't let the fear of it being someone you know keep you up at night. I'm sorry this happened to you. Our experience with a breakin last summer contributed in large part to our decision to move.

I totally agree, pillheads will do anything they can to get their next fix.  And stealing a TV isn't going to help them out at all.  Pills are getting harder and harder to get, so the money from the TV wasn't their goal. 

In our area, we have seen a huge rise in heroin use....easier to get and the fix stops the withdrawls.  Made of the same substance, really.  If a pillhead needed their fix, they will do anything necessary.  We live in a small community and I think every small mom-and-pop size pharmacy has been broken into a couple of times, at least.  It is so sad.

[CajunShrimp]

People suck. I am so sorry, especially if it turns out to be someone you know.

[toepick]

Yeah, I don't see the leap to it being someone you know. It is very common for people to break into houses looking for drugs, in addition to things they can easily sell to get drugs.

[Waffles]

I would definitely think it's a pill popper who took a chance rather than someone you know. Not that it's going to make you feel any different about the intrusion...

[wysiwyg]

Sept 17, 2014 5:54:28 GMT -5 nursewife said:

Have you filed a police report? Important to do that if narcotics were stolen.

Yes, a report was already filed. This happened last Monday. We thought some weirdo just walked into our house, went through my purse, then left. 




ETA: We live in a 'eh' neighborhood, which is smack dab in the middle of a BAD neighborhood. They are doing neighborhood renews right now, but in the last month we've had in a 3 block radius at least 3 break ins our neighbors informed us about, our next door neighbors car broken in to, a drug bust, and a homicide. So if someone went through just for pills, I wouldn't be surprised. 

Needless to say, we are actively looking to GTFO. 


This whole thing just makes me sad for whoever did it. All for a few pills. 

[hereigo]

Ugh, that sucks.

[compassrose]

OMG, that's awful. I'm so sorry. Glad it's all on the record, though. What a violation.

[mich1]

The last apartment I lived in, maintenance came in and stole all the narcotics out of my medicine cabinet. It was a current prescription, as my hips were failing and I was waiting for surgery. The only thing that cued me in was that they left the bottle of aspirin on the counter top and I hadn't used it in a couple weeks. I also had maintenance to come in and fix the toilet that day.

I informed management and called the police. The police would not do anything because I had had house guests and couldn't prove that they hadn't taken the drugs.

I got the prescription refilled, put it in an empty bottle that my thyroid med comes in, and it got stolen again. After that, I refused to allow anyone in my apartment without me being there.

After this, I hid my narcotics.

[BAMFMrsB]

Sept 17, 2014 9:04:24 GMT -5 mich1 said:

The last apartment I lived in, maintenance came in and stole all the narcotics out of my medicine cabinet. It was a current prescription, as my hips were failing and I was waiting for surgery. The only thing that cued me in was that they left the bottle of aspirin on the counter top and I hadn't used it in a couple weeks. I also had maintenance to come in and fix the toilet that day.

I informed management and called the police. The police would not do anything because I had had house guests and couldn't prove that they hadn't taken the drugs.

I got the prescription refilled, put it in an empty bottle that my thyroid med comes in, and it got stolen again. After that, I refused to allow anyone in my apartment without me being there.

After this, I hid my narcotics.

Lately, I've been thinking about hiding my 'good' drugs and replacing any and all pill bottles with tic-tacs. ALL of them. Like 10-20 per bottle, ALL tic-tacs.

SUCK ON THAT. 

DH had a pill-head cousin take all of his pain meds once - he'd had surgery and they gave him some narcotic but he hated it so he just put it in his bedside table and forgot about them. Then like 2 years later his cousin found them and took them all.

[Deleted]

Sept 17, 2014 9:04:24 GMT -5 mich1 said:

The last apartment I lived in, maintenance came in and stole all the narcotics out of my medicine cabinet. It was a current prescription, as my hips were failing and I was waiting for surgery. The only thing that cued me in was that they left the bottle of aspirin on the counter top and I hadn't used it in a couple weeks. I also had maintenance to come in and fix the toilet that day.

I informed management and called the police. The police would not do anything because I had had house guests and couldn't prove that they hadn't taken the drugs.

I got the prescription refilled, put it in an empty bottle that my thyroid med comes in, and it got stolen again. After that, I refused to allow anyone in my apartment without me being there.

After this, I hid my narcotics.

That's a good idea.

[mich1]

Lately, I've been thinking about hiding my 'good' drugs and replacing any and all pill bottles with tic-tacs. ALL of them. Like 10-20 per bottle, ALL tic-tacs.

Tick-tacs smell, I'd use aspirin or ibuprofen instead.

[citrusmint]

Sept 17, 2014 7:03:52 GMT -5 @missusbee said:

Sept 17, 2014 0:07:15 GMT -5 citrusmint said:

Yes, this was an "inside job". A stranger wouldn't take the risk to break into a house and not find the pills they were looking for.

Burglars are opportunistic and steal items of value, they don't generally go looking for specific items. They wouldn't bypass the TV, laptop, iPad, whatever just to rifle through a medicine cabinet that may or may not have the pills they're seeking.

I couldn't disagree more. Junkies looking for their next fix absolutely can and do take the risk to get drugs, or quick money for drugs.

Its not a stretch to think that a burglar would go straight to the medicine cabinet to find pills, since they are common in many households. I wouldn't leap to it being an inside job, honestly, wysiwyg. And let's not forget you were home, and stealing a TV isn't nearly so quick, quiet and tidy as taking a pill bottle. I wouldn't let the fear of it being someone you know keep you up at night. I'm sorry this happened to you. Our experience with a breakin last summer contributed in large part to our decision to move.

In all of my years as a law enforcement professional I have never ever seen this.

If there are drugs, they will take them, along with whatever else of value that they can grab along the way to sell to buy more drugs. They won't just go straight to the medicine cabinet and leave. Breaking into a house just for drugs and not taking anything of value is too risky.

wysiwyg Were you home when this happened? I didn't follow your OP.

[krisandgrace]

Sept 17, 2014 10:42:13 GMT -5 citrusmint said:

Sept 17, 2014 7:03:52 GMT -5 @missusbee said:

I couldn't disagree more. Junkies looking for their next fix absolutely can and do take the risk to get drugs, or quick money for drugs.

Its not a stretch to think that a burglar would go straight to the medicine cabinet to find pills, since they are common in many households. I wouldn't leap to it being an inside job, honestly, wysiwyg. And let's not forget you were home, and stealing a TV isn't nearly so quick, quiet and tidy as taking a pill bottle. I wouldn't let the fear of it being someone you know keep you up at night. I'm sorry this happened to you. Our experience with a breakin last summer contributed in large part to our decision to move.

In all of my years as a law enforcement professional I have never ever seen this.

If there are drugs, they will take them, along with whatever else of value that they can grab along the way to sell to buy more drugs. They won't just go straight to the medicine cabinet and leave. Breaking into a house just for drugs and not taking anything of value is too risky.

wysiwyg Were you home when this happened? I didn't follow your OP.

We had a rash of break in in my town, the only thing they took were pills found either in the medicine cabinet or the kitchen. It was during the day.

[citrusmint]

Sept 17, 2014 10:52:46 GMT -5 krisandgrace said:

Sept 17, 2014 10:42:13 GMT -5 citrusmint said:

In all of my years as a law enforcement professional I have never ever seen this.

If there are drugs, they will take them, along with whatever else of value that they can grab along the way to sell to buy more drugs. They won't just go straight to the medicine cabinet and leave. Breaking into a house just for drugs and not taking anything of value is too risky.

wysiwyg Were you home when this happened? I didn't follow your OP.

We had a rash of break in in my town, the only thing they took were pills found either in the medicine cabinet or the kitchen. It was during the day.

Very interesting. May I ask what area of the country you're from?