Naked burglar

We sent four hogs to market via Sylvana meats Saturday Morning, and had gotten to the farm early to do so.  Day started at 6:30 or so, and the hogs were killed and on the truck by 9.  We did the other chores, ran some errands and by 3pm we were done, so headed home. 

I've been having trouble with my pickup truck, and it was in the shop.  That figures into this story because I'd usually be carrying a rifle, shotgun and pistol with me.  The rifle we use for slaughtering hogs; the shotgun for pests, and the pistol in the even that we need to put an animal down or need to deal with some sort of emergency.  We'd taken them all out of the truck and put them into the gun safe in the house; the farm kill guy uses his own gun. 

On arrival to the house about 3:30 or 4pm I was sitting in the car replying to an email on my iphone and adrea unlocked the back door, and came back immediately:  There's someone in there!

We'd been having some work done, and I wasn't sure if it was one of the workmen, perhaps returning for something, or even if there was anyone there.  Normally, if i'm going to clear a house, a pistol or shotgun is my choice...  none available. 

I walked in and heard water running, somewhere upstairs.  I yelled "come on out!" and no response, and I walked up the stairs to the second floor, where i could hear the shower running in the upstairs bathroom.  A computer of mine was on the floor of the hall, and the room looked like it had been ransacked. 

I opened the door to the bathroom and there was a skinny white guy IN MY SHOWER. 

Who are YOU!  "dude, it's cool, it's fine..." 
No, it is NOT fine.  Get out of my house! 
So I looked down and all of his clothes were on the floor by the shower.  Shoes, shirt, coat,  pants.  I picked up all of his close and went down the stairs, out the back door and tossed all of his clothes over the fence into the neighbors yard; it's a 30' drop off  retaining wall.  Screw you, burglar!

I called 911, and while i was on the phone with the police dispatcher the naked guy came to the back door and said "give me back my clothes".  I said "just wait, I'm sure the police will take care of it for you" and he went back into my house. 

30 seconds later ANOTHER GUY comes out of my house; dressed in a grey top, black slacks and black and white tennis shoes, he's mid-20s, white, skinny, with short dark hair.  I tell him to stop that the police are on the way, and he doesn't say a word, just starts walking away. 

I'm not about to let this guy get away; i'm not sure what they've taken or what damage they did getting in, but I follow the guy, on the phone with 911 dispatch the whole way.  "We're walking south on boyleston, he's running now..."  I chased him 12 blocks, and the police nabbed him at the corner of boren and pike.  Positive ID and he's in custody.  Excellent.  Thank you, Seattle Police. 

So I get a ride back to the house from one of the officers, they take pictures, and then I find out that andrea chased the naked guy down the street.  For reasons that are not clear to me, he chose to steal a pair of my snowboard boots when he left.  So he's running down the street barefoot in a towel carrying a pair of snowboard boots and his coat when apprehended, 200' from my front door. 

When they retrieved the naked guys clothes, they found a knife and flashlight; the knife made me glad I'd de-pantsed the guy right off the bat.  Plus no one feels tough when they're naked. 

Gun safe was fine; they'd taken a sheet off the bed and filled it with dvds and small electronics, and then one of them decided to take a shower.  Just plain weird.

The police officers were laughing at the whole situation; "you handled it exactly right; called us, kept the guy in sight; taking the clothes was GENIUS!  made him super easy to identify.  'naked and dripping wet'"

"these guys who burglarize, it's not like they do it once.  We love to catch them.  ".  Thanks again Seattle Police. 

This could have turned out differently. If it'd had my truck, and felt that my or andreas life was in danger during this episode, one or both of these guys could have ended up dead.  Broad daylight, saturday afternoon.  Pretty damned brazen. 

Guess I'm going to call an alarm company on monday.  The joys of living downtown.