I hate Halloween

[Z-man]

Around 12:35am on November 1st, my wife and I are awakened from our sleep with a big CRASH - BAM sound.

We carefully go to our living room and I notice the blinds behind our picture window are a bit uneven. Oh yeah, and there's glass on the floor...pulling up the blinds reveals this...


Wonder how that happened...maybe it has something to do with this rock that's imbedded in our wall, which is 14 feet away from the window!


Another shot of the rock in the wall shows how close it came to the recliner I typically sit on if I have a bit of heartburn at night. It would have missed my head by mere inches. Had I been sitting there, and had the rock been thrown a little more to the right, and I wouldn't be typing this right now...


I guess the guy had a backup plan in case the rock malfunctioned. It was a brick:


These aren't small stones, btw: (Yes, I learned the ruler trick from all those CSI shows... )



We suspect the perp threw the rock from just outside the front window, and with a substantial amount of force in order to leave such an impact on the wall, which was probably 25 feet away, and 10 feet above where he stood:


The next day, here's what our pretty picture looked like:


The police quickly ruled out some prankster teenagers - they typically throw less solid objects like eggs, and they throw these things from the street. (There's a tree between the street and the window - the rock and brick would have been caught up in it's branches)

We are pretty sure we know who did this, but I cannot state anything further here due to legalities. Suffice it to say, this guy used Halloween as a 'cover' for a malicious attack on us. I believe he meant to use this as a scare tactic, and I doubt he was expecting to hit anyone. That said, whenever someone hurls a large rock into a dark house, you never know what you are going to hit - that hole in the wall could have been my head.

The police took the rock & brick, but there's no way prints could be pulled off of them. Without any further evidence, they really cannot pursue anyone in this matter...

I hate Halloween.
-Z-man.

[arcsine]

I don't buy that the rock was thrown. As you say, 10 feet above ground, 14 feet from window to wall, through a double pane window and still imbeds itself in the wall. It was propelled by something. A big elastic strap perhaps but cannot believe is was just thrown.

Glad to head no one was hurt and the little rat b*stard gets their due.

[widebody911]

Force/mass/accelleration sez it was thrown from a moving car or a big slingshot.

Do you think this is retribution for closing the Grid Girls thread?

[oldE]

Hey Z man,
Sorry to see the damage to your house. I understand the sick-to-your-stomach feeling that comes whenever some @ssh0le feels he can take out his frustrations on you and your family.
Of course, having said that, Halloween is just another day.
Perhaps one day this individual will be walking down the side of the road and the Big Guy will see fit to have a rock come off the tire of a passing truck in order to move up his trial date.
Les

[Z-man]

Originally posted by widebody911
Force/mass/accelleration sez it was thrown from a moving car or a big slingshot.

Do you think this is retribution for closing the Grid Girls thread?

Couldn't have been a moving car - my house is set in a good 30 feet from the street, and given the angle of trajectory measured between the window and point of impact on the wall, there is that big old tree in the way..

Big slingshot - maybe - probably. But that would required setting up the apparatus. And then there's the question of aim- seems whatever he used, be it a strong arm or a slingshot, he hit the window the first shot, which means he was close. We did find what appears to be footprints on our front lawn infront of the window...

-Z.

[dhoward]

"Reopen the grid girls or else..."

[austin552]

Gentleman we have a suspect.

[pwd72s]

I agree. That kind of force, something other than the human arm was used. A throwing stick? A sling? Damn, that's sad....

[lendaddy]

Those surgical rubber water balloon launchers would do this. We put a balloon right through a garage door once, they are crazy powerful!

Takes three guys though Z, does that jibe with your theory?

[KFC911]

Originally posted by Z-man

We are pretty sure we know who did this, but I cannot state anything further here due to legalities. Suffice it to say, this guy used Halloween as a 'cover' for a malicious attack on us.... -Z-man.

That sucks, and if I were in your position (and was ABSOLUTELY sure who did it), then I would not have even posted this much.... due to legalities

[Moses]

That was definitely launched.

I think it's time to get your hands dirty. Bullies always pick targets that behave predictably. It may be time to become strategically irrational. A disproportional and irrational response. It's worked for me in the past.

[JeremyD]

In my little world that would mean war...

Fizzies in the swimming pool, toilets exploding... Porn delivered to the office - legalities hell, the trick from this point forward is don't get caught...

[Z-man]

Originally posted by KC911
That sucks, and if I were in your position (and was ABSOLUTELY sure who did it), then I would not have even posted this much.... due to legalities

I thought quite a bit before posting here. I have not implicated anyone in this thread, nor have I delved into the legalities that I have alluded to. Suffice it to say, this isn't a neighbor quarrel escalation type thing.

lendaddy - could be there was more than one person involved. I am pretty certain I didn't hear any car doors close or a car speed off - they may have parked up a street.

-Z.

[JeremyD]

then you know who it is.

[ken_xman]

Thats a rock in a sling shot. If it was the surgical tube, it would have gone through the other side of the wall.
If you had an therma pane window, it would have slowed it down more.
Good news is, the new windows have much more heat retention. Insurance is great.

[KFC911]

Z, I feel for ya man, and I wasn't knocking you for posting it here. I think that Moses, Jeremy & I are all thinking along the same lines. This wasn't a Halloween prank, but a serious assault on you & yours, and if I were in that position, then I'd...(well, some things are better left unstated).

[Z-man]

Originally posted by ken_xman
Thats a rock in a sling shot. If it was the surgical tube, it would have gone through the other side of the wall.

You mean like this?

Picture of the other side of the wall

Originally posted by KC911
Z, I feel for ya man, and I wasn't knocking you for posting it here. I think that Moses, Jeremy & I are all thinking along the same lines. This wasn't a Halloween prank, but a serious assault on you & yours, and if I were in that position, then I'd...(well, some things are better left unstated).

Exactly how we feel - this wasn't a Halloween prank - but a well timed assault. The police officer who took the report feels the same way, BTW.

-Z-man.

[Tishabet]

Holy Crap! Glad you and your family are OK Z, hope you find whoever did this!

[Jeff Higgins]

Back in my younger days, when I was still full of piss and vinegar, I would have been right there with Keith, Jeremy, and Moses. But like Clint Eastwood said in "The Unforgiven", "I'm not like that anymore..."

If you are really sure who did it and why, the next question you need to ask yourself is how far you are willing to pursue this. Are they likely to do it again if not confronted about it? Or are they likely to up the ante if they are confronted about it? Miscreants tend to be an unpredictable lot, and they have more time on their hands than we generally do. Be carefull.

[lendaddy]

Also keep in mind the surgical rubber launchers are a totally variable device. You can very the FPS from 1 to Sweet Mother depending on your mood.