Feeling Fearful After a Burglary

Last night we took my Mom out to dinner to celebrate her birthday.  We 

arrived back home at about 9:30 pm.  Mom went to bed shortly thereafter

but both David and I were still awake for a couple more hours.  David 

was watching television in our family room and I went to bed and turned on

an old movie.  Neither of us sleep very well at night and often get up to

get a glass of water or to let Bentley out if he wants.  It all seemed like

a normal night.

This morning I was starting to cook breakfast and noticed that I did not 

have enough eggs, so I went out to the garage where we keep a second

refrigerator knowing that I had another dozen eggs out there.  Let

me describe our set up.  Our house is attached to the garage by a 

covered breezeway.  There is a side door into the garage that is

accessed by this breezeway.  As I walked out to the breezeway to

enter the garage I noticed that the door to the furnace room was open

(this is also accessed through the breezeway).  I knew it was not left

open when we came home in the evening.  I also know that all of us are

very careful not to keep any of these doors open because the stray cats

in our neighborhood will go inside.  I checked to see that there was not

a cat inside, then closed the door.

Then I went into the garage and noticed that things were scattered 

about and that boxes were opened on top of the freezer.  I went back

inside the house to ask David about this.  He had not been in the garage

and came out to see what was going on.  When we looked around we

noticed things missing.  Then we noticed that all four tires on my jeep

had been slashed.  The glove box was open and all the papers were

pulled out and that someone had slashed all the way through the 

driver's seat.  I went inside and called the police.

When the police arrived, photos were taken and an inventory of 

stolen items were listed.  But here is what scares me.  We noticed a 

plastic case with waffled foam inside open on the garage floor.

The policeman asked if it was ours.  It was not, but then he noticed

that there were pellets inside the case.  Pellets that would be used

in a pellet gun.  We are assuming that the thief left the case since

his arms were full of things he was taking from us.  What would 

have happened if one of us heard the noise outside and checked to

see what it was?  Would the thief have used a pellet gun on us?  

I am very nervous now.  I know that it is over and we are all

safe, but I feel so violated and frightened.  I can't bring myself

to look at my Jeep.  I have always taken such good care of it.

I know it can be fixed but it still hurts.  I doubt very much if I

will get any sleep tonight.

Susan and Bentley