Texas City: Home alone 15-year-old girl runs off burglars

[seamusTX]

In Texas City Saturday afternoon a 15-year-old girl was home alone when burglars broke into the house. She first locked herself in the bathroom and called relatives and the police.

Then she retrieved her father's handgun and confronted the burglars, who fled on foot.

The suspects were described as "black men. One had a beard and was wearing a blue sweatshirt. The other wore a black sweatshirt."

Given the location (7300 block of Meadowlark), that should narrow down the search.

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/286026" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lucky girl, but I hope she can get some tactical training.

- Jim

[Jumping Frog]

My daughter is 15. Gives me chills . . .

[Thomas]

My daughter is 15. Gives me chills . . .

Just make sure she knows how to retrieve your handgun and use it if necessary (assuming she is trustworthy enough and can make sound judgements in such matters).

[JustMe]

The thing that bothers me about this story is that the 15 year old left a safe place and went looking for them. I would think that she would stay in a safe place and wait for the help she had called for to arrive. Why did she go looking for them? Evidently they didn't know she was there--BUT if they had and she was found, I would have NO problem with whatever she did up to and including blowing them away.

[speedsix]

...once you make up your mind that you will use deadly force to stop evil, it takes a lot of the fear out of the situation, and sometimes a resolve to take back what's yours causes you to do more than huddle in the bedroom, waiting...when I trained my sons at 8 on up how to handle my guns and shoot well, I taught them all I knew about tactics, positioning in the house, clearing a room, they would not just hide and wait for the police...for some, that no doubt is better...but not for all...each must make their own choice...

..."but surely nothing will happen while I'm in the bathroom for a few minutes"...just went out the window, didn't it, folks....
ANYTIME, ANYWHERE...

[JustMe]

...once you make up your mind that you will use deadly force to stop evil, it takes a lot of the fear out of the situation, and sometimes a resolve to take back what's yours ..

BUT:

1. They were not in the house and they didn't know that she was
2. She had 3 different entities on their way
3. She put herself in the line of danger by going outside to confront them and possibly esculate the situation
4. Is that what we have come down too? That a 15 year old girl(or boy) is responsible to "stop evil" and "take back"

I still say that she was safe and should have STAYED safe. I would have NO problem with her defending herself if she were put in that position, but don't feel that it was the prudent thing to do to go looking for a confrontation

[seamusTX]

I still say that she was safe and should have STAYED safe. I would have NO problem with her defending herself if she were put in that position, but don't feel that it was the prudent thing to do to go looking for a confrontation

She was not safe, unarmed in the bathroom.

Few houses have interior doors that would withstand a vigorous kick. The burglars could well have found her in the bathroom and decided to have a little fun during their "work day."

Also note that her aunt made it there before the police, even though it was a call for burglary of an occupied residence. That location is on the far west side of Texas City near Vauthier Road. Probably there were no cruisers in the area.

I agree that coming to burglars or robbers, whether or not the defender is armed, is not the best strategy. However, she did exactly what everyone on TV does.

As I said, I hope the family decides to take Personal Protection in the Home or some such course. They are only a few miles from The Arms Room.

http://thearmsroomtx.com/IndoorGunRange ... lasses.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is "why you have to carry that thing in the house."

- Jim

[tbrown]

1. They were not in the house

Quoting directly from the news story.

He was followed by his accomplice, who had been inside, searching the house, Goetschius said.

“It had been ransacked,” the captain said.

[JustMe]

sorry if some people don't feel this way, but I still don't think it is appropriate for a 15 year old to go LOOKING. Keep herself safe-YES--Defend herself if necessary-ABSOLUTELY.

[seamusTX]

... I still don't think it is appropriate for a 15 year old to go LOOKING.

I don't, either.

However, probably no one told her not to. On TV, the criminals always give up when confronted, and the good guys get a "flesh wound" at worst.

We've seen many stories in this forum for adult men and even cops who went looking for criminals and were injured or killed.

- Jim

[tbrown]

sorry if some people don't feel this way, but I still don't think it is appropriate for a 15 year old to go LOOKING.

From a tactical standpoint, in most situations, I agree with you.

From a moral and legal standpoint, I agree with speedsix.

[speedsix]

...we've also seen where kids, male and female, 8-16, have saved a parent's life by taking action rather than hiding under the bed, hoping the police would show...and in a lot of these cases, the police would have been too late to save the parent...
...I don't applaud her going out of the house to confront them in the garage or yard, but they had already been in the house and she was NOT safe until the house was cleared and locked...which, after being burglarized, probably wasn't going to happen...
...tactically, she's still better off aggressively and carefully making sure that they're not in the house with her than huddling in a bedroom waiting for them to come to her...anger's better than terror any day...there is right and wrong...and different...our opinions are different...

...one might also argue, though this has nothing to do with my stated opinion, that to clear her way to the door, and get outside the house, would be better than to be cornered inside...there are several ways to look at the situation...

[speedsix]

... I still don't think it is appropriate for a 15 year old to go LOOKING.

I don't, either.

However, probably no one told her not to. On TV, the criminals always give up when confronted, and the good guys get a "flesh wound" at worst.

We've seen many stories in this forum for adult men and even cops who went looking for criminals and were injured or killed.



- Jim

...don't have statistical proof, but I'd bet more who huddle and hope have been assaulted, wounded, or killed than have those who actively, violently resisted...fear works better against evil people than begging for mercy...I'm adamant(HARDHEADED) about that...and raised my boys to be fighters in such a situation...

[longtooth]

W/ speed6
Very simple. BGs left. She is safe, unharmed.
Facts say she did FINE.