Houston woman goes out of town. Then she realizes she’s missing 3 Rolexes, an $8K Chanel bag, and ammunition. Then she checks the Ring camera
Dog and home sitters have become a popular alternative to kennels, but just how safe is it? As TikToker Halie Hope (@halie.hope1) found out, there is always a risk.
In the tearful clip, Hope explained what happened, earning over 57,200 views. Approximately a year ago, her boyfriend hired a woman for dog and house sitting. Over time, the couple “built trust” with the girl, even letting her host friends and have small pool parties at their home. Hopped added that they learned to count on her.
However, after a weekend work trip, Hope returned exhausted. The next day, she woke up to find that multiple valuables were missing. These included a PlayStation, four watches (including three Rolexes), a $12,000 tennis bracelet, an $8,000 Chanel bag, an AR-15, and various other guns and ammunition.
Through the Ring camera, Hope said that she discovered “sketchy” people entering their home to party with the house sitter. So, she decided to call the sitter and nonchalantly mention that items were missing. The sitter allegedly replied, “Oh, really?”
Hope also said she asked for the names and numbers of the people in their home.
The Ring camera also showed these people arriving with a pack of beer and BuzzBalls. Their faces are in full view.
@halie.hope1 ♬ original sound – Halie Hope
Things soon escalate
According to the camera, they left the property at 2:30 am and returned at 4 am wearing masks. They let her eight-month-old dog out in the front yard and entered the home. This causes the dog to get agitated and bark, but, according to Hope, the sitter said she was asleep.
Hope then went on to explain how the incident impacted her two dogs. One of them broke the kennel and peed all around it as they tried to escape, while the other couldn’t stop barking.
Cumulatively, Hope says that close to $40,000 of “prized possessions” were stolen, while her dogs remain “on edge.”
“I feel violated, betrayed. I don’t feel safe in my own house because they know where they live, and they know what we have,” she said.
Since the incident, Hope shared that she was getting a new security system and that there was an active police investigation.
“You can’t take away this feeling, you can’t take away with what you did to my dogs,” Hope concluded.
“Just be really careful in who you have in your home and who they have in your home,” she said. “And learn from this because this is the worst feeling ever.”
As a final note, she also advised viewers to schedule all valuables on their home insurance policy.
What did commenters think?
Essentially, there were two types of comments. Those who sympathized with Hope, and those who believe that she could have done more.
“I’m sorry to be the one to say this but whyyyy was this stuff at reaches way, why not lock a closet or draw?” one asked. “I’m sorry this happened but why on earth would you leave Rolex and tennis bracelets in the house when you’re gone?” a second repeated.
And a third chimed in, “Umm why would y’all leave all that out? That’s why you need a safe. Nobody is to be trusted ever.”
Others urged her to call the police.
“Guns?” a fourth wrote. “Ugh! You need to report this to the police!”
“Stealing guns is a federal offense and the ATF should be involved,” a fifth advised. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
Similarly, a sixth said, “Make sure you press charges on her too! Don’t drop those charges no matter what! I’m so sorry.”
Is stealing a gun really a federal offense?
Gun theft is indeed a federal offense.
Federal laws governed under the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) dictate that stealing a gun is a serious crime, for which you can face up to 10 years in prison.
According to Cannon & Associates’ law firm, stealing a firearm is a crime regardless of a gun’s value because the weapon can be used to commit other crimes.
TikToker opens up about the theft in an interview with The Mary Sue
In an Instagram direct message interview with The Mary Sue, Hope shared that, while the police investigation was still ongoing, two arrests had been made (although none of them were the house-sitter). She also shared that none of her belongings had been recovered.
“I wanted to make a TikTok about this happening to urge people to make sure they list their valuables on their homeowners policy in case an incident happens,” she explained. In our case, we are not able to get any compensation because our valuables were not scheduled on the policy. And secondly, I wanted to remind people to be very careful on who they allow in their homes and who they trust.”
She added that while the reception to her video has been “great,” she also received some hate comments questioning why valuables weren’t in a safe. “The main takeaway is that you can never be too careful when it comes to protecting your home,” she concluded. “Security, locks, and insurance are very important.”
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