In a viral TikTok, a woman who served 10 years in prison for burglary revealed how to protect your home from theft.
Despite her 10-year sentence, Jen Gomez (@jenjen.gomez) revealed that she didn’t rob any big-name institutions and was instead a cat burglar. Gomez explained that when she went out to steal from her home, she had a checklist with her to find out if there were any stealable items inside to prepare for her break-in. Here’s how to protect your home from burglars, she says.
Weather
The first thing she did was check the weather a few days before. When it was bright and sunny outside, she would seek out more remote locations where the houses were further apart. People were often out and about on these days, even if it was just walking around the area, pushing a stroller, or mowing the lawn. But people are more alert on sunny days, so she preferred foggy, rainy days.
“In weather conditions like this, not only are people not out, they aren’t going to chase you. “They’re not going to come out just to be curious because they think something looks weird and get all wet,” Gomez explained.
And when they spot them, they aren’t 100 percent sure what they saw. She added that law enforcement won’t chase you even in bad weather because it’s dangerous.
time
Second was the time of day. Since most people have to work or take their children to school during the day, Gomez knew that most people would be out between 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and between 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Safety measures
Next on her list was something that might surprise some. But Gomez preferred homes with surveillance cameras or signs from security companies because that likely meant they had items valuable enough to protect them. She also knew that it was unlikely that the police would show up because there were so many false alarms related to home security systems. When the police were called, Gomez knew she had a total of 10 to 15 minutes to complete her robbery.
“And for me that was all I needed,” Gomez said.
Access point
To actually get into the house, Gomez had to have a window low enough for her to get in with her tools.
domestic animal
Gomez also preferred homes with pets because they were likely to roam freely around the house, which meant the alarm’s motion sensors were turned off.
@jenjen.gomez PROTECT YOUR HOUSE FROM BURGLARY. I used to be a burglar. Here is the checklist I followed! #burglar #burglary #floridalife #floridaprison #prison #lowell #prisonshower #homes #homebreakin #protectyourhome #prisonstories #prisontiktok #prisonbreak #jailstories ♬ Original sound – Jen Jen Gomez
A few other things Gomez mentioned were that she wore the wrong size shoes to avoid leaving a footprint, always wore her hair back in a slick bun, wore frocks, and preferred places to go where she could quickly leave the neighborhood.
“I tried to get the big bosses. The real, real upper class. The people I just felt like – and I know it wasn’t right, but I was justifying myself in my addled mind at the moment – they could replace what I was taking. They didn’t really need it, they had a lot of money and home insurance,” Gomez said. “I tried to get the big bosses. The real, real upper class. The people I just felt like – and I know it wasn’t right, but I was justifying myself in my addled mind at the moment – they could replace what I was taking. They didn’t really need it, they had a lot of money and home insurance,” Gomez said.
At the end of the video, Gomez made it clear that she did not want to glorify her past crimes and that she feels great remorse and regret.
“I hope this helps you all better secure your homes and keep your eyes open for ALL strangers,” Gomez said in the text overlay at the end.
The video has well over 1.7 million views and more than a thousand comments.
The Daily Dot reached out to Gomez via email for comment.
*First published: December 3, 2023, 6:30 p.m. CST
Stacy Fernandez
Stacy Fernández is a freelance writer, project manager and communications specialist. She has worked at The Texas Tribune and The Dallas Morning News and managed social media for The Education Trust New York. Her favorite hobby is finding hidden treasures at the thrift store, she loves a good audio book and is a chocolate lover.
