When Hell Came to Our Home Part 2A

[crabby_lioness]

Master Post

I haven't talked much about the trailer next door.  Normally I don't think much about it, but with all this trouble coming from that direction I'm reminded that things have been odd over there lately.

It's been abandoned for years, but the week before school starts there's a lot of activity going on over there.  Lots of people in and out, lots of banging and remodeling noises going on, so much that I didn't notice anything odd about the banging noises the day our door was  broken open.

Then there's the people, who gathered together to talk at the back door instead of the front door, the back door that can only be seen from our back yard.  At least they did until the day the baby watched them, three days before this mess started.  They watched me take him in.  They haven't gathered at either door since then.

Then there's the inside lights, which are never on over there anymore, even though they seemed to be working fine the last time anybody lived there.

Then there's the night a whole bunch of people came over with a whole bunch of boxes.  They turned off the outside lights, took a lot of boxes in, then took even more boxes out.  Funny thing was they did it in complete darkness, with neither the inside or outside lights on, even though that meant negotiating stairs and uneven terrain in the dark.

Then there's the morning Bozo, the guy who lives there, cut across his front yard like he was coming to our front door.  He saw me in the window, stopped, turned and glared at the street, then got in his truck and left.  We'd been having a rash of damaged doorknobs about then.

Odd stuff.

Comments

[qara-isuke.livejournal.com]

....man, that's pretty suspicious. They're obviously doing SOMETHING over there they don't want people to know about.

I can't advise enough for you to work on getting out of there. There people are clearly unstable and willing to cross the legal line.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

Working on it like crazy.

[qara-isuke.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

Good luck with that. May I suggest, once you DO get out....sue the ever living fuck out of the county.

ALSO! You mentioned the Attorney that wouldn't help you is running for re-election, yes? All the more reason to contact the press about it. "Family terrorized by sheriff's deputy and others, Attorney refuses to return family's calls for help".

NOT the kind of publicity that he wants while running for re-election.

[rdprice29.livejournal.com]

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I know the tv news stations up here all have their "investigative reporting teams"...do the news stations where you are also have the same? I'd try getting them to look into the case, because yeah...definitely not the attention a states attorney wants during reelection.

I hope you and your family are able to stay safe until you're able to move. I wish I could help more, but I don't know anyone in your area. :(

ps...here from copperbadge's radio free monday.

[drglam]

Is the attorney running for reelection running against someone? Perhaps his opponent is a person you should talk to.

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

Also here via copperbadge, and *points up* what she said. Anyone running for office will have their own media connections to throw such bones to, and an opponent will have reason to cast as much doubt on the incumbent as possible.

[amythest-n-ice.livejournal.com]

Not being funny, but search the fuck out of your house, cupboards, crawl spaces, attics, whatever. You have no clue what these nutters could be hiding in there when they're breaking in while you're not around.

[swordznsorcery.livejournal.com]

Seconded. Although it's unlikely they'd leave anything sensitive in somebody else's house, it's best to be sure. Check outside as well, if it's possible to do so without being too obvious. You don't want them to see you doing something like that.

It really is important to take all of this to somebody who's prepared to give real help, though. Local media can be unhappy about dealing with sensitive local issues, at least in my experience. National media is a different question. And as has been suggested already elsewhere, go to the FBI. If you can point to suspicious-acting, possibly crooked law officials, they're obliged to do something.

[ioldanach.livejournal.com]

Unless they want DHS to find something incriminating, of course. Something hidden where the resident wouldn't think to look, ever, but DHS would have been 'tipped off' about.

Planting evidence

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

would be just the sort of thing they'd do. Go over the place with a fine-toothed comb. *Document anything you find with a cell-phone photo you post to the web*.

Re: Planting evidence

[kryss-labryn.livejournal.com]

Also, if you DO find anything (baggies of pot stored in the toilet tank, whatever), make sure you do NOT touch it. Anything they plant won't have your fingerprints on it; it MAY have theirs.

Anything you find, photograph it, then call the helpful police officer about a suspicious item. Have them come down and remove it and store it as evidence. Fingerprint analysis etc will only be helpful if it's the cops who collect the item, I believe.

Also, speaking from someone who lives in a grow-op-heavy area, it sounds to me like they might have a marijuana grow-op there. One reason to suddenly not be seeing any lights on at night would be them covering the windows over with black paper so no one can tell that they're running bright lights 24/7.

Other signs (from my own experience):

* "Pot" smell. Depending on what type they're growing and its level of maturity, the stuff can get pretty stinky.

* Heavy-duty wiring. Have heavy black cables appeared? Are they running into the trailer?

* Generators. One of the big give-aways is when the hydro bill suddenly doubles or triples (although they're doing things with LED lights these days that don't use up suspicious amounts of electricity; still, the tech's new and they might not have it yet). And aside from LEDs, one of the ways to avoid that power spike is to run the lights off generators.

* People coming and going at odd hours. You've already noticed this one.

* Empty flower pots. Depending on what system they're using to grow them (hydroponics, earth, whatever) they may be generating a surplus of flower pots. Or earth. If there IS suddenly bags or piles of topsoil around, I'll add that it is really awesome stuff. Pot puts a lot of nutrients back. Buddy of mine has a fabulous veggie garden supplied pretty much entirely from discarded grow-op soil from the dump.

We have an anonymous tip line up here, CrimeStoppers (http://crimestoppers.ca/). You call in a crime (or one being planned) and don't leave your name; they assign you a file number. If your tips lead to an arrest and charges, you get paid up to $2,000; just need the file number to claim it. No, I've never used it; but I've been reeeeaaaally tempted. If you have anything like that down there it might be worthwhile calling the trailer in as a grow-op. Do it from a pay phone, though, just in case. Might be an idea to get friends to call it in too, so they can't just ignore it if it's run by the local guys.

Grow-ops are practically legitimate farming in my community; I can point to seven illegal ones (already busted) and one legal one from here. And I have to say, this sounds JUST like a grow-op.

It potentially could be a meth lab too. Either way, not something you want around; the wiring for grow-ops is notoriously sketchy and DIY; and meth labs have a nasty tendency of exploding. Hard.

Here's a link to the RCMP's website on grow ops (http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/fio-ofi/grow-ops-culture-eng.htm).

Hope the FBI are being helpful. Also I have forwarded your story on to the CBC. Hmm. I wonder if the National Enquire might be interested? Think I'll alert them too. They LOOOVE corrupt officials.

[krystletwystd.livejournal.com]

I would be equally worried about what they could take out of the house. I wouldn't keep any personal records, bills, personal identification, etc... around if possible. If they're already cutting off internet and phone, they could be doing it because it will be much harder to track any identity theft or anything of that sort.

[eumenidis.livejournal.com]

I suggest you contact the FBI AND the Southern Poverty Law Center immediately & ask their advice, you may be dealing with some wingnut militia.

[bloodrebel333.livejournal.com]

Seconded. They're breaking into your house (I'm assuming but it feels more like a certainty at this point), they're doing very suspicious things - I think this is way too big for any county lawyer. It's very likely that they're doing very illegal (if not very dangerous) things down there. Plus they scare the shit out of you, abuse their positions (as deputies etc) to make things difficult for you, make you (feel and be) unsafe. And they fucking took your baby once. I'd go crazy if I had a child and someone like that touched her.

Get the FBI, try to stay somewhere else as much as you can and record EVERYTHING. When my landlord was threatening me (a few weeks ago) I posted on FB and LJ every single time something happened. I text-messages my boyfriend and saved the messages on my phone. I called the police the one time they he tried to break in my door and told them to put my name and the case in the register, so that if anything happened to me, they'd see instantly that I'd been having trouble with my intimidating violent landlord just before then.

I suggest you try to take the same measures. Save all messages, update whenever you can, don't ever delete even the e-mails notifying you of a comment on your entries. Tell your friends, tell your family, call the police every time something happens, no matter if it's thrice a day, and make sure they record it/make a note of it.

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

If they're trying to discredit her sanity, that may not be the best solution.

However, if you've got access to technology, there are ways around reporting what's going on without anyone being able to make you look like a paranoid schizophrenic. http://reason.com/archives/2010/09/20/how-to-record-the-cops

[bloodrebel333.livejournal.com]

If the police knows the problem they're more likely to believe her. If anything happens and she doesn't call the cops, they'll ask her why she didn't. If they don't believe her when she calls, they're free to come and check.

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

This is logical, but sadly is one of those pieces of logic that works better in theory than in practice. Law enforcement is like a pack of dogs, their mentality is vary us-vs.-them. If Bozo and DHS woman are part of the pack then the burden of proof as far as the cops are concerned is going to be with whoever else is involved.

And since police are trained to be paranoid, they project that onto anyone who has any of the behaviors. If you sound hysterical when you are talking to a policeman, they will discount most of what you say. It's not right, but it's how they work.

[becky-h.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering if they're trying to turn that property into a grow house or meth lab. And. Definitely search like hell. If they want you out that bad, and they've got drugs to plant, I wouldn't put it past them.

[rdprice29.livejournal.com]

This is also what it sounds like to me. If you start smelling chemical types smells from that direction, it's most likely a meth lab (which can explode at any time) and get you and your kids to your family's/good friends house for safety.

[ruisseau.livejournal.com]

I thought this, too, when she described the stuff going on over there. This stuff is scary!

[(Anonymous)]

If they are trying to seize your property, finding drugs on the premises is a sure way to not only seize your property for the county, but get your kids taken away as well.

[writestufflee.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely thinking Meth lab. The DEA and FBI or the ATF might be very interested that trailer too. Anonymous tips are a beautiful thing.

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

True that.

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

Two words: Meth lab. I would suggest giving the police a hint, but well...

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Sounds a LOT like drugs. I wonder if they've covered the windows? Done something to prevent light from passing through. Our old trailer was a bank repo that we got for a song... And the master bedroom closet was lined for growing pot with hooks in the ceiling for lights...

[captainofidiots.livejournal.com]

Here via copperbadge.

My first thought was meth lab, honestly. People do CRAZY stuff for drugs, especially that one. I would definitely check to make sure nothing like that was planted anywhere. I would be as thorough as checking band-aid boxes and aspirin bottles. I know a recovering addict, and that's where they kept their stash, so... you never know.

Stay safe.

[(Anonymous)]

Have someone unrelated to you notify the police (a different agency than the one bozo works for)that they are growing marijuana in that trailer.

[fornikate.livejournal.com]

Meth lab. I'd call the State Police anon and report it.

Solution

[(Anonymous)]

Contact you congressman's office, they WILL get involved. when you move out contact the ACLU, these are major violations of you civil libirties.

[meghannibrooks.livejournal.com]

I'd be extreamly carful with people breaking in when you have children there (and even if there weren't). I'd also weatch any openings you may have leading in from the roof?

I'm going to tell you something about my self that I don't talk about. For us, it turned out my mum's ex-boyfriend (who she ended up taking back several times) was coming in through our roof at one point (my mum stayed up all night several times waiting for him to try and come in from the roof. I even stayed up with her sometimes and I heard him up there) and was systimatically drugging us (keeping up the dosages I'm guessing). He was a sexual predator. We were living in a horrilbe place where heaps of "half-way" people came through, so of course all the sick fucks setup shot there waiting to prey on all the woman who were on the run from abusive ex-partners, most of which that had children. There were set ups, the police force was corrupt and full of sexual predators (the whole town too). No-one was safe, not even the children. I guess my point is, keep every entry and exit sacure (as you're doing) and don't underestimate the sheer depravity of people, especially those in power.

As someone who's been through a similar situation, I can't stress this enough (but I know you're fully aware of how serious this all is.