She Believes Her House Is Being Cased By Painters Hired For Her Neighbor’s Home Renovation Project
A woman from Houston, Texas, recently went viral on TikTok after sharing a fear that many homeowners can relate to. She worried that her house was being cased and detailed the strange events that led her to this conclusion.
Her name is Shelby (@shelbysurfer), and she has lived in a gated community with a female roommate for years. She never had any safety concerns until a few months ago, when her neighbor hired painters while conducting a home renovation.
In her video, which has now amassed over 57,000 likes, she detailed how her community was so safe that she’d always just get her packages delivered to her front door. That all changed after the painters arrived, and a series of bizarre events unfolded over the course of three weeks.
First, Shelby noticed that the painters would constantly park outside of her house, and shortly afterward, she realized the back gate to her home would be left open with no explanation.
Upon arriving home, though, they would be gone, meaning she and her roommate weren’t able to talk to them.
Then, things escalated when Shelby actually caught some of the painters in her backyard, who claimed they’d only entered to remove some scaffolding. According to her, though, “We have confirmed that they’ve been in our backyard multiple times.”
Other weird incidents, such as the painters looking into her home and stealing a package from her front door, as evidenced by her neighbor’s security camera, left Shelby feeling on edge.
“We’ll be eating lunch and will look over, and the guy is just staring at us,” she said.
However, one more encounter pushed Shelby to the brink. While she and her roommate were just sitting on the couch, a painter rang her doorbell, and they declined to answer since they didn’t know who the man was.
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Well, he proceeded to stand outside of their home for five minutes, acting “sketchy” and saying, “Hello? Hello? Anyone home?” Shelby’s roommate ultimately decided to answer the door at that point.
“And he’s like, ‘Hey, I know who lives here.’ And my roommate is like, ‘No, you don’t,'” Shelby recalled.
“He goes, ‘Oh, well, I used to know who lived here.’ It was the sketchiest story ever. I’ve lived here for four years, and my homeowner, who is an old man and his family, lived here before. He didn’t know [anything]. He didn’t know anyone.”
Afterward, once the man eventually left, Shelby and her roommate peered outside and watched as he walked 10 feet to the side of their house, looked around, and left.
Shelby immediately signed up for a Ring doorbell subscription following this incident. She also reached out to her homeowner’s association and asked if the passcode to enter their gated community could be changed.
Additionally, Shelby has purchased signs that say, “Smile, you’re on camera,” as well as a padlock for her back gate.
Nonetheless, she has been suffering nightmares about her home getting broken into and asked viewers of her TikTok to share tips on securing her property.
“I’m 1,000% positive someone was trying to case the house,” she admitted.
How To Know If Burglars Are Casing Your Home
Burglars “case” homes in order to pick their target and determine a homeowner’s schedule. Certain factors can increase your chance of being burglarized, including your home’s location, proximity to neighbors, and accessibility to main roads.
Thieves typically seek out “easy” targets that are away from neighbors and have privacy bushes or trees blocking a view from the road.
Signs that a burglar is casing your home may include a new, unfamiliar car being parked on your street, a stranger approaching houses in your neighborhood, or even knocking on doors and asking to use the bathroom or grab a glass of water.
Other times, things like strangers taking photos of your property, joggers running by your house multiple times, or people posing as professionals, such as handymen or solicitors, might be signs of casing.
Physical signs can include garbage tampering, “X” markings on the sidewalk near your home, and if your dog has been let out since thieves are deterred by properties with canines.
At the end of the day, if you have a gut feeling that someone is watching or casing your home, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Install a home security system, alert your neighbors, and remain vigilant.
Viewers of Shelby’s video also offered other helpful advice, particularly for women living alone.
“Go to the thrift store and get a few pairs of men’s shoes. Leave them outside your front door and switch them out often,” one user wrote.
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