Two men are accused of the brutal Connecticut home invasion of a prominent doctor. Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, of Cheshire, and Steven Hayes, 44, of Winsted, have been arraigned on charges of assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, robbery, arson, larceny and risk of injury to children. More charges are pending and the two men could face the death penalty.The state medical examiner confirmed that Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, was strangled and her daughters, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela, died of smoke inhalation. The deaths were ruled homicides.
The girls' father, Dr. William Petit Jr., a prominent endocrinologist, remained hospitalised with head injuries.
All three women were raped. Petit was beaten with a baseball bat, thrown down the basement stairs, and then tied up in the cellar.
The daughters were tied to their beds and raped repeatedly, then left to burn after gasoline was poured around their beds and ignited.
How to Protect Yourself from a Home Invasion
It's frightning that home invasions have increased the way they have. Protecting yourself is a must as criminals will strike anyone- whether low or high income areas.
1.Fortify your home with solid core doors, strong locks and security devices on windows. To strengthen locks, secure heavy-duty strike plates with at least four three-inch screws.
2.Keep all doors and windows in the home and garage locked at all times.
3.Install a peephole and use it before opening your door. Make sure your porch light is in a position to help you see persons at your front door clearly.
4.Never open your door to strangers or solicitors and never rely on a chain-latch. If a solicitor acts suspicious, call the police.
5.Keep window shades closed at night. Windows can give a criminal a lot of information about your home's vulnerability. If a home invader can't see into your home, he may not feel confident about storming in.
6.Never make it obvious that you're home alone. The fewer the occupants, the easier a home invader's job becomes. A single occupant may be the opportunity a home invader is looking for. 7.Keep extra lights on. Use a television or radio to create the illusion that more people are in the house.
8.Hold a meeting with your family to discuss home security practices. Too often, the weakest part of a home security system is the habits of occupants. If your family is educated about the risks and certain home security practices are followed, this will greatly reduce the risk of a home invasion.
Rolling Out the UNWELCOME Mat and Other Considerations
1.Security Lights. Check Ebay for some handy solar power lights that don't require wiring.
2.A Pet. Dogs always alert their owners when someone approaches.
3.Security Cameras. Even the ones that don't work can make a criminal think twice.
4.A personal alarm or full security system. They're noisey but criminals will surely run away- make sure you get a sticker for the windows and a sign for your gate.
A tiny Chihuahua has been credited with the cracking of a robbery case following a daring bank heist in the US.Seven-year-old Chico attacked one of two men who ran through his owner's backyard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. During the struggle the tiny dog managed pull one of the men's pants down, which were later found by Chico's owner Peter Budo along with a pair of shoes. Mr Budo's backyard is just metres from a Capital One bank which had just been robbed. "He (Chico) was running in circles and barking up the fence," Mr Budo told local TV station WAFB. "I saw the shoes and I saw the pants laying down, that's all I could see."
