Ok, after reading some of the neighbor stories, I thought about my 3 year ordeal with one. I'll try to cut it down to the readers digest version.
Few years ago, around 9 pm, my son came to me in a panic stating that he thinks someone was trying to break into his car, which was parked curbside in front of the my house. I have a raised/fenced yard, about 4' higher than the sidewalk. I rush outside and find this drunken female (south american type, not Mexican) with a machete chopping away at my tree branches (The tree was planted there about 20 yrs prior by my father-in-law). Anyway, as I scream to her asking what she's doing, she shrugs her head, and begins to walk away to my neighbor's house. On their property sits the main house with 3 little bungalows that they rent out. She enters the property, slams and locks the fence. I follow her and notice she walks to the furthest bungalow. Not knowing her from Adam, I thought she had no business there and of course there was the machete... I called the local pd. Prior to their arrival I picked the lock so the fence/property was accessible. After id'ing myself to the PD, I explain the situation and take them back to the bungalow. Lo and behold, she becomes belligerent with them and they haul her ass to their car. They really didn't know what to do, so I suggested that since the tree is on the sidewalk, it's city property and to take her in for destroying city property. So off she goes. Later I find out that the old man who resided in the bungalow, befriended her and took her in off of the streets a few years prior. After finding out her name, it hits me, we've been getting mis-delivered mail with her name. Incidentally she tells the PD that she doesn't like us (my family).. Can't imagine why, I have never met or seen her prior to this incident.
The next day, she's released and now the fun begins. For the next 3-6 months, anytime she knows that we are home, she would call the police and make up some story. Whether we're making too much noise, looking at her funny, or anything... just to get them there. At this point she doesn't realize that I was LEO and knew most of the responding officers. They would humor her, warn her and just try to keep the peace. Meanwhile she had now caused problems with other neighbors as well and they didn't like her antics either. We did our best to just ignore her, as we had heard the property was for sale and she would be paid off to move once the sale goes through.
OH, by the way, I got a letter from one of those court TV shows. When I call them, they inform me that they want me on their court show to settle the law suit she had filed against me. Now that one caught me off guard. They then explain that she had filed a small claims action against me for 5K. The reason was because I had called the police on her. ???? really... oh, I guess I'll be served any day now. I could have been a jerk and hid from the summons, but I was pretty curious on the matter. As for the show, I agreed to be on it, it was an all expense trip to NY, where it was filmed.. but she declined the offer... no trip for me.
The next week I was served. Guess I'm now off to night court. During the couple of weeks, waiting to appear in court, another neighbor tells me that she had told them she was going to kill me. WOW, now it's getting real. I believed she was capable, (she did attack an innocent tree) due to her mental instability, but also knew I can take care of myself and family, but unfortunately not always home. I had mentioned her threats to some Dets at the local divisional station, but they were just too lazy to do anything about it. Even after I told them what charges to file, witnesses I would produce and so forth. Guess if she or anyone of her friends tried anything, they'd leave in a body-bag. No difference to me.
Now to court. Our case is called and she tries to explain her story to the judge, but he was getting very confused. I then explained what had happened on that night she was arrested. We'd be notified of his decision by mail. The next day, I received a letter stating the case was dismissed. I was happy, but knew that this would only infuriate her more.
Of course it did. She now would beat on my fence, throw rocks over the fence, I guess trying to break my kitchen window. The pd was called again to quell her down... and guess what... off to jail she went again...
On another note, when I had my gardener trim my tree (you know the one on the sidewalk), she called the police and complained I was destroying city property. The ignorant and rude officer I had to deal with, surly knows now that he shouldn't have put his foot in his mouth when he started yelling at me. That's another story. Anyway, I had to apply for a permit to have my tree trimmed since it was on the sidewalk. No biggie.
One time, while photographing my fence which she was destroying (from her side, I had permission from the home owner to go onto the property) she came out from her shack and tried to attack me with a broom... that was funny. She knew enough to not actually hit me, so I just stayed my ground and kept taking pictures. I even video taped her swinging the broom... My daughter called the police and she ran and barricaded herself in her shack. After finally coming out, she was, again, hauled off to jail. The air unit had a pretty good view of her swinging the broom..
This nonsense went of for the next year or so. We heard the property had sold and she was going to be paid 10k in relocation fees. I told my family to steer clear of her and hopefully she'll just go away. I didn't want anymore problems to happen when I was away and the kids left alone home.
Well one day, she was at it again (wished I was dealing with a man, then it surely would have ended much sooner.. wack!) My wife was out of town and it was just my daughter and I. I had just arrived home. I saw garbage cans and moving junk stacked all around my daughters car, which was parked curbside. We knew it was probably that lady who did this. We decided just to remove the junk, and move the car. Well while doing so, she came out and began one of her rants. Yelling at both my daughter and me. The more we ignored her, the more she yelled. She then made a move on my daughter, throwing something at her, then charging her. WRONG MOVE LADY... MY TURN..
Well there's only so much I could have done, so I just forced her to the ground and held her there. Told my daughter to call the police cause she's going back to jail. Think it #5 now. She was struggling, squirming, spitting, trying to bite me and such. I pulled her t-shirt over head so she couldn't spit or bite. It was, to me, kind of amusing that when she was yelling for help, but the other neighbors that came out and cared to look could care less, they just watched, shaking their heads as if saying, you again.. na, na, na, na, hey, hey, hey, good-bye....
Unfortunately it took the pd 40 mins to arrive. That was a long time to hold down this street raised, scrappy idiot. She was not very happy when she was taken away... again. Of course she was bailed out a few days later. You think this would end, of course not.
Knowing that it would get worse, my wife and I trot to the court and get a temp restraining order against her. At least we'd (hopefully) have a few weeks of quiet. When we went back to court a couple of weeks later for the permanent injunction, she had a lawyer with her. Guess she did received money from the house sale. She was not too happy with the outcome, probably because she paid for representation and lost. Since she had already moved from that shack, she was ordered not to come back onto my street.. ever.. hahaha Is it over?
A month or so later, I see a business card from a detective on my mailbox. I found out she had filed a complaint against me, saying I had beat her. They had to investigate. Great... then I get a follow up call from I.A. They're a fun bunch. Long story short, I met with the City Attorney on two separate occasions regarding her complaints against me and it was determined she was trying to get $$ out of me by the many small claims actions and was hoping if I had been arrested, it would help her case... guess what... NOT. The case against me was recommended as a reject. (I provided many independent wits and neighbors who provided insight of what was happening in my neighborhood and statements on what they had seen, refuting her complaint)
During this entire ordeal, I wished I could have done more, but my hands were tied due to dept policy and the second guessing that plagues the dept. (glad I'm ret from there now) Just had to bite my tongue and hold back a little.
It's been quiet for the past couple of years.... BUT... just a couple of days ago, my wife spotted her on an adjacent street.
..... wonder if she drinks milk???? (sorry, didn't mean to go there :bleh
