Break-in!

Well not exactly... but something like that. Two weeks ago, a man in business attire (complete with tie, shades and all) parked his car at our common parking area, got out, smiled at the maid hosing down our neighbor's garage, and got into the compound. If that isn't scary, here's more...

He tried opening the screen doors of the first two townhouses, then went on to check the other units in the compound. Mind you, this was at a few minutes past 12 noon! In broad daylight! According to my neighbor, he knocked on our door, too, but my shih tzu, Mickey, barked at him like crazy so he moved back towards the first units and tried their screen doors again. All this was happening while the maid was cleaning the area in front of our compound. She knew he was inside, and would normally be the first to yell at him for trespassing, but his get-up got her confused.

Anyway, when he tried opening the screen door of the last unit, F, my neighbor, who was home at that time, yelled at him to ask what he was doing and what he needed. He yelled something back, to the effect of "Ah, si Attorney, te-text ko nalang!" and left.

F ran after him, and saw his car (make and model slips my mind but will update as soon as I get to talk to my neighbor again). He tries to knock on the car's window, but the man drives away fast.

Needless to say, the maid, who also happens to be our compound's katiwala, got the sermon of her life. F says his aunt, who lives in the unit across them, saw something that could've been a gun! (!!!!!!) I am freaked! So is my nanny, who, upon learning about this yesterday (we normally hear about things like this from the katiwala, but obviously she was at fault here so there weren't any news reports aka tsismis coming from her), recalls someone knocking on our unit's door sometime before we left for Hong Kong. But she was getting RL to nap, so she didn't bother to check. Besides, we normally do not get visitors during the day. Or I would usually call first if she was to expect someone.

Goosebumps!

Anyway, my neighbor tells me that a similar incident happened to her sister, who lives in rural QC, where her nephew is robbed at gunpoint in their own home. Same get-up. Guy looking oddly similar, in business attire, with tie and shades. I spent a good hour or two briefing my nanny and A. We're getting new locks and have added more security measures. Our compound has about half a dozen kids so it is scary this happened! Good thing no one was harmed! And we live practically next to a police outpost. If it can happen at our place where security is second to none, what more in places where security is lacking?

This must be a new MO! Guy acts like he has official business being at your place, fools the maid, and actually gets inside your house. In our case, maid leaves the compound gate open, sees him enter, thinks he's visiting someone (there are 6 families in our compound), when he's really out to steal! Argh!

STAY SAFE, PEOPLE!