What a sweetheart. Turns out the former resident of this Rancho Grande has a local criminal history dating back to 1992 for all sorts of fun things, including aggravated assault, battery, possession of heroin (at least twice), aggravated burglary, possession of ecstasy and other crapola. He’s apparently jumped bail from his last arrest (back in August ‘04) and has had at least one other residence over in (surprise!) Central City.
Maybe he knows the guy our neighbor held at shotgun point in their courtyard a couple weeks ago. Turns out this dude had been burglarizing dozens of houses around here, mostly renovations, getting his buds to help him cart off new appliances and stuff. This is why it pays to know your neighbors, since it took only a couple phone calls between friends to corner this guy while he was going over a wall.
Local crime can be a very socializing thing. We’ve had several instances on our street in which the same thing happens…
1) We hear siren
2) Siren gets REAL close
3) Cop car stops a few houses down.
4) Backup quickly arrives
5) Much loud discussion and a few shouts from around cop cars
6) Neighbors begin piling out of their homes, drinks in hand, to witness said goings-on. But it’s usually too dark to see much, thanks to all the flashing red-and-blue lights.
7) Neighbors begin greeting each other as if at class reunion (”How ARE yew?” etc etc).
8) Lively conversations ensue while cops do their thing 50 yards away. Ambulance sometimes arrives.
9) Neighbors refresh drinks, then return to street to discuss potential block party.
10) Suspect is sometimes arrested. No one has a clue who it is.
11) Much squinting, eye-shading and clucking by neighbors, who attempt to identify suspect (”Nah. I can’t tell who it is either.”)
12) Cops/ambulance finally depart, leaving everyone standing around in the street, drinks in hand.

Like I say — it’s a very socializing thing.

Related posts:

1. Simmuh down, y’all…
2. Crack-tease
3. Just freaking great….
4. Dr. Doogooder
5. lemme see….