Every year, over 600,000 cars are stolen in the United States, Auto Insurance reports. 

Some cars are easier to steal than others. For example, recent years have seen a spike in Kia and Hyundai thefts after thieves figured out an easy way to bypass the car’s ignition. Even though the vast majority of stolen cars are recovered, those who get their car back often find that the thieves have left their vehicle in complete disarray.

But in discussions about car theft, one key question is often left out. What are you supposed to do if you see your car being stolen? On that note, what are you supposed to do if you see any of your possessions being stolen?

Hopefully, most people won’t have to go through this. But when TikTok user T-Ray (@t_ray90) saw an unfamiliar car on his property, he learned firsthand what it’s like to experience a home burglary.

What Happened When This Man Came Home?

In a TikTok with over 95,400 views as of this writing, T-Ray shows himself confronting someone parked in his driveway.

“How can I help you?” he asks.

Immediately, the person starts to ramble. He says that he was told to “pull up here” by someone named Mike. While he does this, he attempts to quickly leave the property.

“What have you got in the back?” T-Ray confronts the burglar.

“Nothing,” the man responds, getting into the car’s driver’s seat.

After the thief pulled away, T-Ray assessed the damage. 

According to the TikToker, the man stole the furnace from this property. Not only that, but he also disconnected the oven.

T-Ray went on to mention that his house is currently on the market. He thought the burglar could’ve been a buyer or buyer’s agent looking at the property. 

“Man, this was on the market. I’ve had showings so I thought it was a buyer coming back or a buyer’s agent. When I realize the back was open. I changed my tune in a little bit because I have kids and a wife,” he commented.

What’s Going On With This Chrysler Pacifica?

While the TikToker managed to catch the alleged thief’s face, there are some key details that he also captured about the car that could help another person in a similar situation.

Looking closer at the video, there is a barcode sticker on the driver’s side window. As many commenters pointed out, this is likely an identifying sticker placed by a rental car company.

Although the chain is unlikely to directly hand over the information about who rented the car, police can use this barcode to demand additional information from the rental agency. From there, they can get a better idea of who was involved in the robbery. Not only that, but this Chrysler can likely be tracked, either by the car rental agency or using the car’s built-in software.

If it can be done safely, someone in the TikToker’s position should also attempt to take pictures of the thief’s license plates. In this case, the thief removed the license plates from the car. This is illegal in the state of Missouri, though it’s unlikely the thief would care about violating this law given the variety of other statutes they were violating at the time.

What Should You Do When You Encounter A Burglar In A Home Robbery?

Some commenters chastised the TikToker for not directly, physically confronting the thief. 

“You let him take all that and you didn’t even try to stop him?” one TikTok commenter added. 

However, the TikToker was correct to not engage further with the alleged thief.

Experts say that, if you come home while a burglary is in progress, you should not engage with the thief. If the thief is visible, you should get a good physical description — but beyond that, you should leave the scene and call the police as soon as possible.

The reason for this is simple: You don’t know if the thief is armed, nor what they’re capable of doing. Plus, any attempt to resolve the issue yourself could accidentally tamper with evidence that may be key to apprehending the thief. 

In the case of the TikToker, he says that capturing and sharing this video resulted in a positive identification of the man. 

“Recording helped,” he shared in a comment. “Someone knew him!!!”

Commenters Share Their Thoughts

While some commenters claimed that they would have acted more aggressively toward the man, others claimed that T-Ray was right to keep his distance.

“Not everyone is violent. You guys don’t know of the other guy had a weapon or not. I’m glad that he was smart enough not to risk his life over a furnace….or whatever it is,” one commenter added.

“Don’t listen to these comment man. I bet half of them wouldn’t have even confronted the guy. Not risking your life for a small amount of your stuff back is wise,” echoed another.

“This guy played the situation perfectly and got to see his wife and kids that night without going to jail, the hospital or the morgue,” summarized a third.

We’ve reached out to T-Ray via TikTok direct message and commented on the post.

@t_ray90 Got robbed in the daylight!! Scary moment! TikTok do your thing! #kansascity #theft my furnace was taken! #missouri #kcmo ♬ original sound – T-Ray