First Time for Everything, I Guess

Well, on Monday I went to my first language class since being back in Kenya, and when I returned from class my apartment had been robbed.  Yup.  First time I've ever had anything stolen from me, and it was a doosy.  

I left at 12:45PM after the maid left at 12:15 or so, then returned at 5:00PM, had the guard wash my car and got up to my apartment at 5:24PM.  I was calling Nancy Germo as I walked into the apartment to tell her a funny story from the day, when I noticed the cap from my internet modem sitting on the counter instead of on my laptop on the kitchen table where i left it.  Then I saw that my laptop wasn't on the table.  Then I looked into the bedroom and saw my camera case sitting empty on the bed, my laptop case emptied on the floor, the drawer of the bedside table pulled out and stuff all over.  My kindle was on the shelf on the bedside table but my small video camera and ipod were missing.  (I was saying these things out loud to Nancy as I discovered them) Then I remembered that morning I had removed my wallet from the place where I normally hide it to get some money to pay for language class that day, but didn't have time to hide it well again, and sure enough the wallet was gone.  I think it had about 36,000 ksh (around $380 USD-which is most of my monthly budget) and my debit card, and mom and dad's credit card.  I checked and my external hard drive and the folder with all my documents, passport, and other paperwork was still in its hiding place, thank you God!  I hung up with Nancy and called mom to have her cancel the cards, then called back and forth with different people till the Germos got there and we called the police.

The police were professional and helpful, and agreed to have someone come and dust for fingerprints the next morning.  They couldn't see any signs of forced entry into my apartment and thought someone must have made a duplicate of one of the keys at some point.  We spoke with George, who has known the maid for many years and he confirmed that it would be ridiculous for her to be involved-she's been a friend and fellow church member for almost 20 years and it would have done her more harm than good to do this since she would lose her job and never be able to get another one.  Also, the guard saw her leave the compound and she did not return after I left.

I couldn't touch anything till the fingerprinting was done, so I borrowed some clothes from Nancy and spent the night at their house.  I laid awake for a long time going over all the details again, wishing I could figure it out, even remember something I did wrong so I could blame myself rather than not know how it happened.  The complex has never had an incidence of robbery like this, I stay on the top floor with no way to access the apartment but the stairs, the maid is seemingly upright and innocent, I wasn't on a regular schedule that someone could have observed and timed when I left to break in, and on and on.  It seems impossible and just straight up weird.

Yesterday morning I went with Dan to the police station very early and recorded my official statement, then we left and waited to hear from the lab technician who would dust for fingerprints.  We drove to pick him up from a different police station, then brought him and the officer in charge of the case to the apartment.  They asked me what happened (again), and dusted a few items and took I think 4 or 5 fingerprints to be analyzed.  I'm not sure if that will help at all, but at least it's something.  Besides it was cool to watch!  And now my Kindle has a shiny new coating of fingerprint dust stuff :)

Dan and I talked to the caretaker and she said this morning she found out that the apartment next door had been broken into yesterday morning and very similar items were stolen from the three tenants there-laptops, camera, ipod, cash (a lot, like 2,000 US dollars), cell phones.  The police went there after finishing at my place, and hopefully if they are connected cases, there will be more evidence there.  Since there are only 3 people living there and it's really hard to walk out with that much stuff, they expect to narrow down the suspects of who was involved quickly.  If the two break ins are connected, it's a very organized, skilled crime to break in to that many apartments already knowing there were valuables inside, which means the police will pay more attention which is good.  The caretaker is suspicious that someone working in the compound must have given them information, otherwise they would not have targeted my place and not broken in any other apartments in the compound.  

We arranged to go on thursday to have my fingerprints done along with some staff from the apartment complex.  They plan to put a deadbolt on the apartment door, but for know the antigen lock (the key guard thing I told mom about) is in the door.  I couldn't quite handle being there alone last night, so I stayed with the Germos last night.    Right now I'm exhausted and feeling kind of resigned.  I don't have any hope for getting my stuff back, especially the cash, cameras, and ipod since those are easy to pawn.  Well, not the cash...haha!  I guess my life just got simpler.  Not laptop, no gadgets.  I even wrote in a real notebook yesterday :)