Orlando (Florida) Sentinel – “Naked attacker arrested after bizarre incident in suburban Lake Worth” – Feb. 9^th, 2014:

In a melee that lasted at least 10 minutes, a squad of deputies used batons, a police dog, a stun gun and all their might to subdue a male they said walked into a neighbor's house on Saturday and stripped off his clothes before attacking a teenager.

The incident marks the second time in less than a week that Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputies have confronted a naked person who seemed to be on a violent rampage while displaying unusual physical strength.

The latest outbreak of violence began about 6 p.m. Saturday when police said they responded to reports of a burglary in the 9200 block of Bracelet Drive in unincorporated Lake Worth. A 15-year-old boy told two arriving officers that he was feeding the dogs at his aunt's house when Hopper walked through the unlocked front door.

Hopper touched the teen's face, the teen told deputies, and tried to remove the teen's glasses. Hopper then took all his clothes off while shouting nonsense, deputies said.

Jason Valentine, 35, the brother of the homeowner, said the teenager fled into the backyard, where he used a trampoline to elude Hopper by jumping over a fence and running for home a block away.

An arriving deputy said he could see Hopper "walking around completely naked inside of the residence in a menacing manner."

"He was breaking random things inside the house and still shouting nonsensical things such as, '5,6,7,8, grandma, girlfriend,1,2,3,4,'" the deputy wrote. "Conrad was moving erratically around the kitchen with clinched fists and pacing aimlessly."

When he came out the back door, armed with the clock, Hopper took a defensive stance, deputies said. Hopper refused to obey orders, so a deputy released the dog.

"Conrad immediately began to punch the dog's head with closed fists and attempted to gouge out the dog's eyes," deputies wrote.

Two more officers arrived. Hopper was hit with a baton and officers triggered a dart-firing stun gun, which knocked Hopper down, they said.

He was finally fitted with steel cuffs, but it "did not change Conrad's temperament as he continued to kick at deputies and thrash around violently," deputies reported.

"At one point Conrad was able to free himself from one of the handcuffs and continued to punch and thrash around," deputies said.

Officers put Hopper in a hobble leg restraint, but even then he got one hand free and "continued to punch and thrash around," the report stated.

Greenwich (Connecticut) Daily Voice - Police: Greenwich Robbers Who Tied Up Woman Entered Unlocked House – Jan. 31^st, 2014:

Two masked burglars who assaulted a 60-year-old woman and tied her up were able to gain entry into the Greenwich house because the front door was unlocked, according to police.

The woman was surprised by the two assailants, who were described as white and in their 20s or 30s and wearing dark clothing. They also threatened her with a gun in the home invasion on East Elm Street, police said.

The robbers demanded money from the woman and punched her in the face when she refused to cooperate.

Quincy (Illinois) Journal - Quincy Police Blotter for February 1, 2014:

Vehicle theft: April Sullivan of 812 N. 14th reports her green 01 Pontiac Grand Am stolen from her residence sometime between 1900 on 01-26 and 0847 on 01-27.  Vehicle was unlocked and keys in ignition.  

So...I started this particular blog because for years my wife and I have marveled at how many crime stories in the news include some variation of the phrase "unlocked door" in them. Since starting it, I have been even more aware of this preventable syndrome. And that awareness comes from all sorts of sources.

Right now, we're in San Francisco (see my film blog, iwakeupscreening) at a film festival. We didn't fly into the city, we took the train. On the way here, our train passed by the backsides of a lot of buildings, of all sorts. But one particular building in a railroad depot caught my eye as we passed. There was a door on the backside of this building. Said door was marked, in block letters two or three inches tall, KEEP DOOR CLOSED.

The door was ajar.

komonews.com - Police: Victim gives drunk burglar a glass of water – Jan. 22^nd, 2014:

According to the Seattle police report for the incident, the victim was home alone at his parents' house in the 6600 block of 57th Avenue Northeast when he heard noises coming from the master bedroom shortly before 3:30 p.m.

When the victim went to investigate, he found the suspect -- apparently having come in through the unlocked front door -- opening drawers and throwing items onto the floor, according to the report.

The victim later told officers the suspect appeared to be drunk and/or high, so he offered him a chair to sit on and gave him a glass of water.

The victim sat with the suspect until officers arrived and arrested him for investigation of burglary.

The Washington Post - Anne Arundel County and Howard County crime report – Jan. 22nd, 2014:

These were among incidents reported by the Annapolis Police Department.

Burnside St., 300 block, 6 p.m. Jan. 12 to 11 a.m. Jan. 13. Cash was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.

Canterfield Rd., 300 block, 4:35 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13. A cellphone was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.

Simms Dr., 1-99 block, 5 p.m. Jan. 11 to noon Jan. 12. Tools were stolen from an unlocked vehicle. A screwdriver was found in the ignition.

 

Tallwood Rd., 1000 block, 12:45 a.m. Jan. 16. A white 2009 Jaguar XF four-door sedan was stolen. It was left unlocked with a key inside.

The Marietta (Georgia) Daily Journal – “Police search for woman wanted in thefts from cars” – Jan. 17^th, 2014:

Police are searching for a woman they say broke into at least a dozen vehicles last month along the Bells Ferry Road corridor and may be continuing to do so.

Officer David Baldwin of Marietta Police Department said the vehicle break-ins were committed Dec. 23 near three apartment complexes.

At least a dozen cars were ransacked, but it appears those vehicles must have been unlocked because there was no other damage, Baldwin said.

“It sounds like they were door flippers,” Baldwin said, referring to the practice whereby thieves will ransack a neighborhood by checking car after car for unlocked doors.