Holiday Vigilance!
I moved to lower La Floresta, Ajijic in April 2006, and I loved living there. Every night I walked my two dogs off leash around the block and felt perfectly safe on the well-lighted streets. That Christmas Eve, however, was a different story. I walked home from La Bodega and opened my door to let the dogs out for our regular walk. I was mugged by two men who pushed me into the street and took my purse. They got the keys out of my purse and stole my car which was parked out in front of my house. I screamed as loud as I could, but no one heard behind the walls. The dogs were old and no deterrent. The police found the car in a village two hours away. The car was turned over to the Chapala police, who then stole it again! It was finally released to me 6 months later, stripped of everything they could take. I knew the ministerio wanted a bribe to release it, but I was between a rock and a hard place -- my insurance company would not cover the damages if I paid off the police. I finally got my car back, and I left Lakeside.
Here's my suggestion: Let people know that the holidays require extra vigilance! After this happened to me, so many people said, "oh, yes, you have to be really careful around the holidays, because thieves come in from other areas." I think I would have avoided my bad experience if I had had this advice before rather than after.
Here's my suggestion: Let people know that the holidays require extra vigilance! After this happened to me, so many people said, "oh, yes, you have to be really careful around the holidays, because thieves come in from other areas." I think I would have avoided my bad experience if I had had this advice before rather than after.
Incident Occurred Christmas Eve 2006 - added October 13, 2010