Nuthin' but a axe

Sometime within the last couple weeks, a neighbor got his house cleaned out—as in robbed. He lost virtually everything. He “knew” that the car-chopper-upper family just down the street had done it, but had no proof. In my experience, whenever I’ve been ripped off, either they did it or knew who did. On a couple of occasions I was able to apply some pressure and get them to steal my stuff back for me.

Well, one day late last week, I looked over and noticed a couple Sheriff’s vehicles and the local sergeant over at the house. Turns out they did a “routine” parole check on one of the family members and they conveniently had brought a detailed list of my neighbor’s stolen property. And there it was, in the house, along with 15 rifles and some handguns and 80 lbs of weed. They certainly didn’t grow it themselves, so you can bet it was also stolen. My friend got most of his stuff back, the cops arrested two of the thieves in the den, the parolee is back in prison and someone who just lost 80 lbs of pot now knows who to go after. It ain’t pretty…for them. For the rest of the neighborhood it’s a great improvement.

(Note: the details of the arrest came to me second or third-hand. I’ll confirm and post an update, if it matters, when I can.)

The constant gunfire had gotten totally out of hand in the last couple months. The little hamlet of Tweeker Creek where we live is just too small and populated to be shooting like that. Any bullet that missed whatever target they were shooting at over there or any ricochet could easily travel all the way across town. Funny thing is, had I not been on my way out to a meeting when I saw the Sheriff, I might have gone over and asked the deputies to ask the shooters to quiet it down. Guess I don’t have to worry about that for a while.

Indeed, it is much quieter since the arrests. Except for the one guy in back cutting up cars into little pieces. He’s still at it. Every week or so, the local disposal company drops off another empty 20 yard dumpster and hauls off the other one full of scrap. Either the County made them clean it up or the price of scrap iron has risen to the point (largely due to demand from China) that it is profitable to sell it. I figure that based on the price of iron, minus the cost of hauling it to Oakland, divided by the time it takes to cut up a car and hand load it into a dumpster, that they must be making all of 50 cents/hour.

Meanwhile, they were recently in possession of something like $200K worth of stolen weed and additional value in guns and other stolen property, but they’re working day and night cutting up cars for 50 cents/hour. Um…is there something wrong with this picture? I guess you shouldn’t expect much from people who are so stupid as to rip off their neighbors and keep the stolen goods right there in their house. While they’re on parole. While shooting off guns day and night. While also holding a boat-load of stolen weed. While they have a reputation for violating every law on the book. I’ve talked to several neighbors and we’re all enjoying the quiet since the arrest.

Speaking of chopping up cars, I have to relate this story from many years ago, shortly after I moved in to Tweeker Creek. One of the car-chopper family was out by the road and I asked him, “so, why do you chop up cars with an axe?” With a completely straight face and narry a touch of irony, he replied, “I ain’t got nuthin’ but a axe.”