Over the summer, my 6 month old cat disappeared. Within a day, I put up a poster and a woman in the area contacted me saying that it was probably my nextdoor neighbor. She told me that he had been telling her all week about his plans to trap a cat on his property. She knows most of the cat owners in the area so she was able to warn them. Unfortunately, she didn't know us. The day my cat disappeared, she said they had a conversation that went like this: my neighbor said "Wanna see a picture?" "Of what", she said. "Of a dead cat?" Pause. "I'm just kidding" he said as he started laughing. She's some sort of animal activist and it was obvious he was trying to get a reaction out of her. A day or two later she saw my poster and made the connection. The police were called but without a body or any evidence/eyewitnesses, the cat was simply "missing." I also filed a report with the Suffolk County SPCA but the investigation led nowhere.
A little info about my nextdoor neighbor: he's a retired NYC fire inspector that has nothing better to do with his time than ride around on his bike looking for cars with expired registrations/inspections and turning them in. He is in town hall every week filing a complaint. There are many people around town who can't stand him because he is always meddling in their affairs. He is extremely arrogant and controlling. I once heard him threaten to kill his wife during an argument. I try to avoid him because I know he is bad news.
I have had no problems or encounters with him since the summer, until tonight. I was shoveling snow in my driveway when I saw a flash go off from my neighbors house. I immediately turned my head and saw the glass door shut as my neighbor scurried away. My live in girlfriend went over and confronted him and he said he was just taking a picture of his grille. I know he was lying but there is no way I can prove it and I'm not sure a crime was committed. The reason my girlfriend confronted him and not me is because I didn't want to lose my cool and do something stupid.
This might sound paranoid but I worry that my neighbor might be trying to set me up for something. There have been acts of vandalism on my street recently. My experience tells me that my neighbor has no problem lying to a police officer, or anyone if it will serve him to do so. (Remember, he is a retired inspector so he knows the law.) I also know that he doesn't care about me or my family based on his actions this past summer.
So, what are my rights in this situation? I'm over the loss of my cat so I'm not seeking any counsel for that. What I want to do is protect myself from being set up for a crime that I didn't commit. Any advice greatly appreciated.
A little info about my nextdoor neighbor: he's a retired NYC fire inspector that has nothing better to do with his time than ride around on his bike looking for cars with expired registrations/inspections and turning them in. He is in town hall every week filing a complaint. There are many people around town who can't stand him because he is always meddling in their affairs. He is extremely arrogant and controlling. I once heard him threaten to kill his wife during an argument. I try to avoid him because I know he is bad news.
I have had no problems or encounters with him since the summer, until tonight. I was shoveling snow in my driveway when I saw a flash go off from my neighbors house. I immediately turned my head and saw the glass door shut as my neighbor scurried away. My live in girlfriend went over and confronted him and he said he was just taking a picture of his grille. I know he was lying but there is no way I can prove it and I'm not sure a crime was committed. The reason my girlfriend confronted him and not me is because I didn't want to lose my cool and do something stupid.
This might sound paranoid but I worry that my neighbor might be trying to set me up for something. There have been acts of vandalism on my street recently. My experience tells me that my neighbor has no problem lying to a police officer, or anyone if it will serve him to do so. (Remember, he is a retired inspector so he knows the law.) I also know that he doesn't care about me or my family based on his actions this past summer.
So, what are my rights in this situation? I'm over the loss of my cat so I'm not seeking any counsel for that. What I want to do is protect myself from being set up for a crime that I didn't commit. Any advice greatly appreciated.
