Robbed While Sleeping: Nica Nugget #104

Tonight will be the one-week anniversary of the night we were robbed while sleeping.

The thief broke in through our locked guest room window. And then walked through our living room and into our bedroom. While we were sleeping.

The thief picked up John’s metal tool kit which was on a shelf by John’s head, along with two overnight bags. The thief also removed two purses of mine off of a hook. And picked up the laptop from on top of a table right by me.

While we were sleeping.

At 2 am John woke up and noticed that our bedroom door was open. He closed it and went back to sleep.

At 3:30 am John woke up and got up to make coffee. He noticed a blue towel from our guest bathroom on the floor outside the guest bedroom floor. He saw the guest bedroom door was closed (which is usually left open for air circulation) and opened it. He saw his tool kit and my opened overnight bag on the bed, with items spilling out.

He scratched his head. It was 3:30 in the morning. He had not had his coffee yet.

John came into our bedroom, where I was still sleeping, and woke me up.

“Things look weird,” he said. “Come look.”

“We’ve been robbed,” I said, as soon as I saw the things on the guest bed. And then I rushed back to our bedroom, where I knew those things had come from.

“They got my laptop!” I said.

“And this is weird,” John said. “They moved my wallet, but left everything in it, including the little bit of money I had in it. Thank God.”

“Mine too!” I noted, as John handed me my opened but intact wallet from under the guest room bed.

We both scratched our heads.

And goosebumps ran over our arms as we imagined someone, a thief, in our room, walking within an arm’s reach of our heads.

While we were sleeping.

While feeling safe.

While actually being vulnerable.

A polite thief. Who didn’t break anything, not even the window screen, which he merely disassembled. Who didn’t break anything, including our heads. Who wiped his muddy feet on our towel. Who left behind our wallets with our cedulas (Nicaraguan IDs) and Driver’s Licenses and bank cards.

But yes, regardless of being polite, the thief still took my laptop.

And came into our bedroom while we were sleeping.

A week later, we’ve upped our security. And our naivety is no longer in tact.

Comments

  1. Judith says:

    This is really frightening. Especially thinking about how terribly wrong it could have gone. So glad you and John are well. Thinking good thoughts and sending positivity your way.

    1. susanafield says:

      Thanks. Yeah, it was scary indeed. I still haven’t recovered totally – I’m having a hard time concentrating enough to return to my love of reading.

  2. SUZI Q says:

    Glad you wrote about it. Doesnt make the issue disappear but voicing your concerns helps…a little. So happy to see you both tve other days!

    1. susanafield says:

      Thank you. It was fun to see you too!

  3. Rebecca Brown says:

    There’s always been attempts to convince the naive that Nicaragua had a lower crime rate than the US. It may have a lower reported crime rate, but a friend was talked into letting someone in her house who claimed to be from her landlord (the guy named him) there to repair her ceiling (something that needed to be done). Her helper was robbed of his phone and the recent money he’d been paid by both of us. There are other reports of people being seen on roofs.

    In 2010 or early 2011 (I was out of the country), I was robbed by the ex of a gringa I no longer have anything to do with, but I’d moved things to a friend’s house before leaving the country for a week or two. He broke into her house, robbed her while she was on vacation, then got the keys to my house and stole a few things.

    Get at least a dog that you only walk on leash and keep inside during the day and in your bedroom at night.

    One of the ways, thieves live with themselves is that they don’t steal everything. My burglar didn’t take my kitchen knives, which I had left there.

    Laptops and phones are prime items to be stolen. Three phones I had sold on when I bought new phones were stolen. One was recovered using MaxiPali security tapes.

    1. susanafield says:

      Yikes! I’m not sure why only my laptop was taken. We’re thinking that maybe when my husband woke up at 2 am and closed our bedroom door that it might have scared the thief off.

  4. Mike says:

    What region/city in Nicaragua?

    1. susanafield says:

      San Juan del Sur. It’s in the southern part of the country, Pacific side.

  5. jay dickey says:

    No bars on the windows, like all the locals have?

  6. Michelle says:

    I was robbed while staying on Coco 3 years ago. I was sleeping, my kids were sleeping and they came into all of our bedrooms…took 4 computers, 4 iPhones, an I-pad and most of my faith in human kind…so sorry this happened to you.
    I was considering bringing groups back again this Spring…but maybe not…

  7. Bill says:

    I was robbed a few months ago in Barrio Fruete Sur. I had accidentally left my keys in my lock, 2 o’clock in the afternoon. I took a nap, woke up and my keys were on my couch and my iPhone was gone. He/She/It? also took a small flash drive. Thankfully they didn’t take my laptop.

    And yes, I left my keys, but should not be “my fault”. Stealing is stealing. And to go in, while I’m taking a nap, in broad day light in a resident al neighborhood is crazy. It still makes me angry when I think about it. It was an expensive phone. And I was napping nude. I just wish so much I would have woken up.

    But my point, do not be naive and think this is a safe place. You may not get robbed at gun point, you you very well may get robbed.

    Another time me and a few friends were all sitting at a bar. Totally quiet, casual. Two young kids walked in asking for change. 5 minutes later one of my friends realized here purse was gone. Apparently these 2 had hit a bunch of places in SJDS in one night, then left town.

    So ALWAYS watch your stuff and keep your home locked as best as you can. And of course don’t be an idiot and leave your keys in the lock 😉

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