Scary day

[Laurie]

Saturday is my usual weekly shopping day, but I had to return some bad meat yesterday.   It was around 6am when I opened our garage door, and there was a man standing across the street and when he saw me he walked across the street carrying a leaky gas container.  I wasn't going to get out of the car, especially at that early hour, so I cracked my window and told him we don't store any gas and I couldn't help him.  (There's no way I'm taking a stranger to a gas station, leaky container or not.)  I went on my quick errand,  hoping he would be gone when I got back.  But he was still there, and he had put the gas container on top of his car.   

I drove into the garage and closed the door.  Then I looked for the gas container that I bought years ago to have for an emergency but we've never used it since we don't have anything like a  gas mower, etc.  I couldn't even get the cap off, so I had to take it upstairs and wake my husband up, tell him what was going on and see if he could remove the cap.   He came downstairs with me, still in his pj's, and I went out on the porch and called over to the man that I would go get him some gas and would be back in a few minutes.  When I got back, dh was dressed and came outside to the driveway.  But the man wasn't alone...there are 2 policemen talking to him, so I thought someone must have called 9 1 1 about a stranded driver.  Dh asked me if I called, but I said no, I went to get him some gas!  I called over to say that I had some gas for him, and the policeman said, "I'll tell him when we're through talking to him."   Then I start hearing something about not being within 1,000 ft. of a day care, and I said to my dh , oh cr@p, he's a sex offender!  But dh said they're reading a protection order to him, and a day care is one of the places included.  It turned out the man called the police himself, and he was showing the policemen the protection order.   They told him he needed to leave, but he was determined that a welfare check needed to be made at the house where his child/ren are living.  They said they understood he's a concerned parent, and they would go to the house, but he could not.  And they left their patrol cars and walked up the street!

When the policement left,  dh brought the gas to the man and waited to get our container back.  (I'm glad it was only a one-gallon size because the man never offered to pay for the gas!)  I was afraid to have him go near the man after hearing what was going on.  Then dh came back and told me he was going back to bed!  But I watched out the window and saw the policemen return, and then things heated up!  The man was yelling at them...they were lying to him, treating him this way because he's black, etc.  Then more police cars arrived, and soon there were 6 police cars.  They were all very professional, and very polite but firm in insisting he needed to leave because of the 1,000ft. part of the protection order.  They told him they were trying to help him because he would be arrested if he went to the house.   Then a woman drove down the street, he knew her and started calling to her about whether they're home or not and if the truck is in the driveway.  The woman is yelling at him to obey the protection order, and the police are telling her not to engage with him!

The man continued to taunt the police by moving to different places on the sidewalk and in the street and asking if they were going to arrest him each time he moved based on his location.  Then after doing this for awhile he got in his car and drove off!  I went outside at that point to talk to the police and asked if I should call 9 1 1 if I see him again.  I've been so worried about the woman and child/ren since then, and I can't stop thinking about why the guy was here so early and what he might have done if he hadn't run out of gas.  

In the evening, when dh and ds went out on their evening walk  I told them to see which house has the (color) truck in the driveway.  When they returned, dh said they didn't see one, but this morning ds told me that there was a truck like that up the street in the house I always call the "gnome thief" house (because a guy who used to live there stole my gnome statue off our front porch, and I saw him and followed him to get it back).   And ds said they often hear "child noises" coming from the house when they walk by.  So I guess my dh doesn't want me to know any more than I already know about the situation...in other words, mind my own business.

After seeing how the man behaved around the police, I'm really worried about the mother and her child/ren.  And I'm thankful the man drives an unusual looking car because I'll recognize it.  (And I miss our dearly departed big barky dog.)

 

 

[Slache]

You could always get another big barky dog.

Honestly, I've known people like this, and they're always worse around police. They hate the cops so they act out. I wouldn't worry. I'm sure he was going to start trouble, but not the kind to end up on the news.

The gnome story is weird.

I agree with DH. Get your mind off it. I'm sorry it happened.

[Scarlett]

When I hear stories like this I always wonder what the WHOLE story is.  I have zero faith in protection orders being just. Fathers kept from their children unjustly can sometimes come across as a little nuts.

Then again he might be dangerous.  Hard to say.

[Murphy101]

Sorry. You lost me at gnome thief house.  I need to know more about this gnome thief situation.

[Laurie]

1 minute ago, Scarlett said:

When I hear stories like this I always wonder what the WHOLE story is.  I have zero faith in protection orders being just. Fathers kept from their children unjustly can sometimes come across as a little nuts.

Then again he might be dangerous.  Hard to say.

You're right, we don't know.  But my mind keeps coming back to what was he doing here so early in the morning?  He must have wanted to obey the order because he could've walked up the street to see for himself if the truck was in the driveway, and at that hour probably no one would've seen him.   

After it was over, I wondered if he had really run out of gas or if that was just an excuse to be hanging around watching for someone, but he wouldn't have approached me if he was just pretending.  

[Corraleno]

I wonder if he parked there hoping someone in the area would drive him to the gas station and go past the house, so he could see if the truck was in the driveway without his own car being seen in the area. If the woman who got the protective order has a security camera (and she certainly should), then he could have been caught even walking past at 6:00 AM. If he was a passenger in someone else's car, no one would know he went by.

Edited July 6, 2021 by Corraleno

[Slache]

1 minute ago, Corraleno said:

I wonder if he parked there hoping someone in the area would drive him to the gas station ad go past the house, so he could see if the truck was in the driveway without his own car being seen in the area. If the woman who got the protective order has a security camera (and she certainly should), then he could have been caught even walking past at 6:00 AM. If he was a passenger in someone else's car, no one would know he went by.

He could have pulled that off in a hoodie though.

[Catwoman]

Wow! What a creepy situation!!! 

[Amy in NH]

Oftentimes a protective order is a temporary measure written as a result of domestic violence while waiting for a case to go through court.  It prohibits the defendant from being within so many feet of a person, and also from contacting that person in any manner including through a third party - hence why the woman driving by was telling him to mind the order.

It could also be a permanent court order, in which case the defendant might have access to children mediated through a third party as stipulated by the court.

In any case, it sounds like he was stopped just shy of the 1000 foot order, and probably used the gas as an excuse while he was hoping that the particular vehicle would drive by.  It's too bad that he was taunting the police about the 1000 feet - they probably could have arrested him for being in violation of the order.

I wouldn't assume it has anything to do with sex offenses. 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Amy in NH

[Laurie]

3 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

Sorry. You lost me at gnome thief house.  I need to know more about this gnome thief situation.

My kids were little, and the gnome was holding a bowl that we filled with peanuts for a mother squirrel.  We have sidelight windows at the front door, but I use decorative bell pull things to cover the windows.  We don't have a peep hole in the door, but you can peek out those windows.  One day I heard footsteps on the front porch but no knock or doorbell so I peeked out just in time to see him leaving with our gnome.    I ran out and yelled at him to bring back the gnome.  He claimed he was going to take pictures of it and return it...I didn't know about the traveling gnome on a tv commercial and so I guess I ruined his game or whatever his plan was.  To me, he took something that didn't belong to him without permission so that made him a gnome thief.  (I didn't call the police,  I just wanted my statue back.)

[Laurie]

14 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

I wonder if he parked there hoping someone in the area would drive him to the gas station and go past the house, so he could see if the truck was in the driveway without his own car being seen in the area. If the woman who got the protective order has a security camera (and she certainly should), then he could have been caught even walking past at 6:00 AM. If he was a passenger in someone else's car, no one would know he went by.

I wasn't even thinking about being caught on one of those cameras. 

 I said to my dh last night that I thought the only people who drive around with gas containers are driving trucks for lawn care businesses, etc.   I wouldn't want to keep something flammable in a passenger car all the time!  

[Laurie]

17 minutes ago, Slache said:

He could have pulled that off in a hoodie though.

Would you believe that the gas station I went to has a big sign on the door that prohibits backpacks and hoodies.  They sell candy and things inside so they must have dealt with a lot of shoplifting.  

[Laurie]

11 minutes ago, Amy in NH said:

 

I wouldn't assume it has anything to do with sex offenses. 

The daycare center must have been the one his child goes to, not centers in general.   

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

8 minutes ago, Laurie said:

I wasn't even thinking about being caught on one of those cameras. 

 I said to my dh last night that I thought the only people who drive around with gas containers are driving trucks for lawn care businesses, etc.   I wouldn't want to keep something flammable in a passenger car all the time!  

Almost everyone I know has gas containers in their car. It drives DH nuts that I won’t do it.

I wouldn’t give it another thought either.  He honestly probably wasn’t going to do anything shady to you but was trying to get close to the house where subject who has the order of protection against him is. 
There’s a gas station across from my job.  Last night after it closed there was a guy out there for about an hour, singing, banging on the windows of the gas station, scratching his arms, making strange noises. Finally we asked the cops to come over.  He was just high but had warrants so they arrested him.  So if you have warrants, you probably shouldn’t get high and walk around town acting weird. 
 

People like this are everywhere.  Honestly most just don’t ever see it.

[Slache]

9 minutes ago, Laurie said:

Would you believe that the gas station I went to has a big sign on the door that prohibits backpacks and hoodies.  They sell candy and things inside so they must have dealt with a lot of shoplifting.  

Backpacks are for stealing, hoodies are to hide your face from the camera. You can usually carry them in and set them by the door.

[Katy]

The mother down the street had the good sense to get away from him and get police involved. I’m sure they’ll be fine. 

When I was young there was a guy with DV & drug charges (and I suspect brain damage) that was constantly in & out of jail.  He threatened his children & their mother constantly so whenever he wasn’t in jail and we were anywhere near their neighborhood we’d drive by to check on her.  If the story is serious enough I’m sure the cops in your neighborhood will too, even in their regular family cars. 

[OH_Homeschooler]

My neighborhood always has stuff like this going on. Seriously, at least once a week. Usually it's a white woman yelling at the police. She never goes to any of her court hearings so she's always in contempt for failing to appear. And people here are constantly getting OPs against each other and then pulling them. It's just a lot of drama in my neighborhood.

I just lock my door and mind my own business. 

[Murphy101]

57 minutes ago, Laurie said:

My kids were little, and the gnome was holding a bowl that we filled with peanuts for a mother squirrel.  We have sidelight windows at the front door, but I use decorative bell pull things to cover the windows.  We don't have a peep hole in the door, but you can peek out those windows.  One day I heard footsteps on the front porch but no knock or doorbell so I peeked out just in time to see him leaving with our gnome.    I ran out and yelled at him to bring back the gnome.  He claimed he was going to take pictures of it and return it...I didn't know about the traveling gnome on a tv commercial and so I guess I ruined his game or whatever his plan was.  To me, he took something that didn't belong to him without permission so that made him a gnome thief.  (I didn't call the police,  I just wanted my statue back.)

Oh he was totally a gnome thief.  I doubt you’d have ever seen that statue again. Good for you!

[pinball]

I’m sorry Laurie you got scared and were caught up the chaos of whatever is going down in that man’s life.

I think you did the right thing with bringing him the gas; i would have done that, too.

i did, for a minute, think...oh, no! Chekov’s Gun...and he was going to use the gas to burn himself or the home or the police.

these are crazy days.

[MercyA]

1 hour ago, Laurie said:

Would you believe that the gas station I went to has a big sign on the door that prohibits backpacks and hoodies.  They sell candy and things inside so they must have dealt with a lot of shoplifting.  

I can understand the backpack rule but the hoodies rule is weird.

[Laurie]

1 hour ago, OH_Homeschooler said:

 

I just lock my door and mind my own business. 

My dh is like this, too.  I don't know if it's a regional thing (he's from NYC) or a parenting thing or what.  I was raised by a nurse and a fireman so I grew up seeing them getting involved (in a helpful way, not a busybody way.)   And to make matters worse, I have ears like a dog so I can't help it if I hear things going on outside, too.  

But I understand what you mean about drama.   My neighbors are away, but their son came over to use their house for a 4th of July party.  I don't like the loud music, etc, but I usually mind my own business, don't complain to the police, etc.  But honestly I worry about young women who are at these loud drinking parties.  There was a couple fighting out in front of our house, verbally at first, but then the woman ran down the street, the guy ran after her and grabbed her.  She pulled away and ran back up the street towards the party house, with the guy chasing her.  I didn't like him grabbing her.   She had stopped and sat down on our stairs.  I figured I had a right to get involved with anyone on our property, and with the loud music blaring next door I don't think anyone would notice if a woman cried for help.  Fortunately I could talk to them through a window without going out there.  I asked if she was alright, and then some others from the party came along, they thanked me for worrying, and said they were just going to be there for a few minutes.  I wanted them to know I was home, aware of their presence, and concerned for the woman, so after that I left the window.   

And my dh never left the couch while this was going on.