Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 12:00 am
I live in Jefferson and this past Tuesday my house was burglarized. It seemed very odd as regrettably throughout my life I have been burglarized now a total of 11 times, nine times as a youth living with my parents in California and and twice in the past 30 years as an adult. But this burglary was the strangest.
They broke in through a front door, took most of my son's Legos but left the Lego boxes. They took my wife's deceased grandmother's gold teeth, all the jewelry we had inherited from the passing of my mother and father and she had inherited from her grandparents and even great-grandparents, and a ring that she custom made when her brother was killed.
They took four of my six guns, leaving only two that were visible to anyone entering our bedroom. They took wedding rings that belonged to my wife and me. (We purchased newer rings since we have been married.)
But here is the strangest part: They took my citizenship papers, my certifications for law enforcement training that I was awarded in 1982, a signature stamp, my birth certificate from Holland, shot records for our kids, sterling silver baby cups, all the titles for our vehicles, speed loaders for one of the guns and all the ammo for only the guns they took, leaving the ammo for the guns they didn't take.
They also took several other items, but leaving items that if I ever turned to burglary would most definitely have gone with me. I doubt I could become a low life like they obviously are, I work for my living, and have earned what I have/had.
The following day my wife was looking on the Fox 12 website and noticed that the week before a similar burglary had occurred in Stayton. In reading what the victim had said, its seems that he feels as I do that they have left things for them to come back for later.
And now after doing some research on my own it seems that similar burglaries have occurred to rural owners in Scio, Tangent, Stayton and here in Jefferson.
I hope that you put this letter in the paper, that it will keep at least one other family from having to go through what we have by making a bigger effort of securing their most important belongings.
I also plead with anyone who may have information on any of these burglaries to contact either the Linn, (541) 967-3911, or Marion County, (503) 588-5032, sheriff's offices.
Rene Pardoel, Jefferson