> > Somebody knows you really well. They knew that you wouldn't likely be in that part of the house at that time. They knew your door was unlocked. They knew that something valuable was there. They knew how to get in and back out without beings seen by a neighbor. My guess is that it was someone you know, and maybe someone you trust and would never suspect.
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> I doubt that completely. It was an opportunist crime: they were walking past the back of the house, and thought "why not?" They came in, took the thing most likely to contain cash, and left. People don't *plan* to break into a house just to steal a small bag.

You know your neighborhood better than I do, but our burglers watch a house for days. They want to know how many people live there, their work schedules and habits. They almost always wait for a time when nobody is at home. The difference may be that most home owners have guns, and that courts understand if you shoot an intruder. The rule of thumb is to wait until they are inside. Don't shoot while they are still outside the house.

I saw a newspaper article recently where an elderly widow stood and waited while an intruder destroyed her door. As soon as he stepped inside, she plugged him three times and then called the cops. He was armed and had a long rap sheet, but she didn't know that. She was not charged. I can't remember if he survived or not.
Howard