We’ve all had those moments when you know you’re alone in the house and yet you go poking around in closets and sprinting up the basement stairs because you can’t quite shake the feeling that there’s someone watching you. But a New Jersey man recently got the scare of a lifetime when he looked under his daughter’s bed and found an intruder hiding there.
Jason Hubbard was recently arrested for allegedly breaking into the Adamcewicz residence. Hubbard dated the Adamcewiczes’ daughter several years ago, but the family had not heard from him since then. It’s alleged that Hubbard entered the house four days before he was discovered, slipping inside the house while the owner took out the trash. It appears he remained under a bed in a vacant room which formerly belonged to his girlfriend. The family believes Hubbard consumed only water during that time, no food, and charged his phone with a nearby electrical outlet by the bed. Once discovered, Hubbard was arrested and now faces charges of burglary and theft of electricity.
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Although this may seem like a fanciful plot line from a horror film, break-ins are far more common then you might imagine. According to the FBI, in 2013 there were 1,425,732 burglaries in the United States. That’s one burglary every 16.4 seconds. It’s a good reminder that no matter how safe we think our neighborhood is, securing all the doors and windows before you go to bed is still a smart move.
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But an even bigger take away from the Adamcewiczes’ experience is how important it is to not let your guard down about home security just because it’s daytime. Of those U.S. break-ins in 2013, over 750,000 of them happened during the day (If you want to take a moment right now to go check your closets and lock your windows, no judgment).There are plenty of us who don’t think twice about leaving the door unlocked while you go to the neighborhood pool for an hour or take a walk. But this cautionary tale proves even the few minutes it takes to bring out the trash can provide an intruder with enough time to get into your home.
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For those of us who work from home or are stay at home parents, it can be especially easy to fall into the bad habit of not locking the door or leaving windows open . But there are a few simple steps that can help you sleep better at night and rest easier during the day. Motion lights are a simply and relatively inexpensive way to warn you of unwanted visitors after nightfall. Get to know your neighbors so that you recognize any unfamiliar faces and communicate with each other when planning vacations in the event that something happens to your home while you’re away. Make a habit of checking unused spaces like guest bedrooms and basements for anything unusual. And lock your door — even if it’s during the day and you have no plans to go out.
There’s no way to prevent every bad thing possible from happening. But a few simple steps and taking a couple minutes out of your daily routine can go a long way towards deterring criminals and improving your peace of mind.
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