You are just not safe in your own home… (True story)

Friday 23, April 2010, started a little differently. Normally I would sleep late, catch up on tech work and laze around the house. But the previous night my cousin Zita and I decided to go running on Friday morning.

I fetched Zita at 11h00 from her house, leaving her sister, Lisa at home alone. Zita and I parked the car at our usual running starting-point, which was nothing out of the ordinary. We got back to the car at 12h45 and decided to go the local mall, which is Blue Route Mall. We walked in and out of the shops while discussing the latest winter trends, girls will be girls.

As we decided to end our window shopping trip Zita received a distressed phone call from her sister Lisa, to inform us that there are two guys trying to break into their house. My body froze and my heart started racing. Zita and I ran to the car. Again Lisa phoned to say that the guys are inside the house and we need to get home now. I told Zita to phone the police but neither of us had their number- convenient! Then I remembered my areas local patrol unit, BH Security. I phoned them immediately and explained the situation.

Lisa was able to lock herself in her mother’s bedroom and luckily the robbers didn’t know that she was in the house, if they did, this story would have probably ended tragically.

BH Security was already at the house when we arrived, thank goodness for that because I have no idea what Zita and I would have done if we got there first. One of the robbers was caught but unfortunately the other one got away. Hardly anything was taken from the house merely because they did not have enough time, thanks to BH Security and Retreat police.

I just could not believe that something like this happened to my own family and that Lisa was in the house when it happened. It really frightened me because I am often home alone and I don’t know what I would do in a situation like that.

Moral of the story, be aware of your surroundings even if you are in your own house; go have a look if you hear unfamiliar sounds; know the telephone number of your local police station and make sure that you always have airtime on you cell phone. Things like this can happen to anyone and it will definitely happen when you least expect it.