Retired LAPD Det. Moses Castillo shares tips with Inside Edition on how to be aware of one's surroundings and survive such an encounter.
According to FBI crime data, property crimes have decreased an average of 33% since 2010. But try telling that to anyone who's been the victim of a crime, especially if the crime happened at your home, where you might be a little less on guard.
In one instance caught on camera, an elderly woman walking to her garage in Texas was confronted by a masked gunman who turns his gun on the woman’s 72-year-old husband when he comes out to investigate her screams.
“Give me the keys to the car,” the gunman says before entering the couple’s home to get the keys to their BMW. He then drives off in their vehicle, video footage shows.
“Home is where we should feel safe and where we shouldn't have to worry about becoming a victim,” Det. Jeff Brieden of the Houston Police Robbery Division tells Inside Edition.
The frightening incident is the second to take place in Houston at an open garage.
In another incident, a man was followed home from work by two people who held him up at gunpoint after he pulled into his garage. At gunpoint, they demanded his keys but managed to bungle the robbery and fled empty-handed in a getaway car.
Similar driveway crimes have happened across the U.S. in recent years, including in Louisiana, New York and California.
Retired LAPD Det. Moses Castillo spoke on how to survive such an encounter.
“Look around and if something doesn’t feel right, and you see something, then get back inside (your car), call the police,” he says.
But if confronted by someone, the most important thing to remember is that your life is more important than any item, he says.
“If they're asking you for your keys to your car or for your money, for your property, give it to them. More than likely that's all they want, they'll take off,” he says.
