Chiriquí Chatter

While I don´t have all the details, there is a lesson to be learned from a recent incident that has happened in David. A young boy, about 14, had been going around a neighborhood selling trash bags. Apparently, he would also ask if he could have a drink and this would give him the opportunity to enter the house.

He returned to one of the houses he had been given access to and took the keys to the owner´s car and drove off with it while the owner was just down the street. In a pursing chase he ruined two of the tires and damaged the car.

The police impounded the car and the owner (according to the Yahoo Post I read) is still trying to gain custody of his own car four days later. Meanwhile, the boy was released by the police since he was underage. The owner was told that the boy´s family is poor and there would be no recourse against his parents.

This is a hard lesson to learn. In Panama, you should NEVER allow anyone to enter your house that you don´t know well. Even knowing a person well may not be enough. Recently I talked to another gringo who had been robbed by his neighbors and he thought they were good friends.

It is a good idea to pay attention to who is in your neighborhood. If you see a car that you are not familiar with, park and sit for a long period of time, a call to the police would not be out of order. Most thieves survey an area for a period of time to learn the habits of the neighborhood´s inhabitants.

While petty thefts are also common in the US, you will have more difficulties dealing with the police and jumping through all of the hoops to make something happen, if you are not proficient with the language.

I will be interested to find out how this incident ends as the victim is still having to work the system to get control of his car.

I am posting this as a little advisory to keep your doors closed to all you have not invited to your house. I would also advise inviting only people to your house that you know extremely well. You have been warned.

Tags: Crime