Afghan family burglarized in Dallas

| December 3, 2015

Someone sent us a link to story in Dallas about Mukhtar Ahmad, an Afghan translator and a security guard for US forces who made to the US on a visa program. He took his kids to the local school to get them registered, but when he returned home he found the door to their new home ajar;

Mukhtar Ahmad, who worked in Afghanistan as a translator and security guard for the U.S. Army, threw the door open and ran to where he was keeping his savings. All $5,000 was gone, along with a 55-inch TV they bought on Black Friday, a computer, hard drive and some of his wife’s wedding jewelry.

“After 20 days in America… I lost my TV, computer … money,” he said. When he opened the empty box where he had kept the money, he said he “sat down there for a while and was thinking ‘What should I do? I lost everything; how do I continue with my life?’”

[…]

Now, he said, his children are scared to be away from their father and are having trouble sleeping. Thursday is the first day of school for Maryam, 8, Madena, 10, and Nazela, 13.

He said the burglary has put their new life on hold. Ahmad was going to use the money to buy a car so he could get a job in welding or security.

Someone probably saw him carrying that 55-inch TV in the house and the rest was just gravy. Mukhtar says that he was waiting for his Social Security card so he could open a bank account to deposit the money. Too bad he isn’t an illegal immigrant, he could have opened a bank account at Bank of America which doesn’t require identification from Spanish-speaking folks without any legal ID.

Category: Crime

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Ex-PH2

That’s a shame. He gets here and this happens. Welcome to America, Mukhtar. Never advertise your wealth with a big flat screen TV.

Some Guy

This is beside the point, but aren’t we over the novelty of flat screen TVs by now? IMO a flat screen doesn’t indicate wealth like it did ten years ago, as there’s simply no other type of screen you can get anymore (I’m ignoring the LED vs OLED vs Plasma debate for brevity’s sake)! Depending on what Mukhtar got, that TV probably cost around $300-500. Way to go, thieving asshole! I’m sure the $100 you get from the pawn shop are worth the pain you caused Mukthar and his family. :/

2/17 Air Cav

Welcome to America and, yeah, burglaries suck. His and his family’s reaction is what too many people suffer. And wait until an arrest is made. He gets to learn that the criminal justice system is usually not just at all, at least from a victim’s perspective.

2/17 Air Cav

The kids are having trouble sleeping. This happened on Tuesday. yeah, I can see that having a stranger enter your home and take away your property can cause a loss of sleep for a couple of days or even weeks. Sounds normal. And that’s what makes the daily feel-good stories so appealing. Guy enters home illegally and gets shot by a homeowner. Word gets around. Everyone sleeps soundly b/c they are in the safest home on the street.

Richard

2/17: we don’t have a “justice” system, we have a “legal” system. I learned this lesson the hard way after being sued by a guy who took advantage of my honesty. I did nothing wrong but because I couldn’t prove it with signed paperwork it cost me $100k so I learned the lesson. We have a legal system, justice is incidental.

Jabatam

$100K?! What the fuck?!

Pinto Nag

When these folks get here, is there anybody to help them transition to life in America? I would think they would be very vulnerable to crime here if they don’t have some help.

locolupus

At least this guy HELPED my Brothers and Sisters and came here LEGALY afterward.

Sorry for his loss but like others said “Welcome to America”

2/17 Air Cav

If there is one thing foreigners learn about the USA while in their native lands it’s that America is a dangerous place. He’s an adult, PN, and worked in security to boot. Houses are burglarized every day. I’m guessing that he hadn’t left the door unlocked or the windows open. No, he pulled out with the kids, a local saw him leave, and it was time for some free shit.

Civilian She

Please. They were targeted because they were middle eastern.

Bigotry exists in a big way and with two political parties blaming each other they just cause a bigger divide than should exist. People forget it is US against them, us includes middle eastern people who, as shown in this case, were helpful to the “cause” the US was fighting in the ME. US as in us land of immigrants. US land of dreams. US land of give me your tired, your poor… US as in all those oppressed people soldiers have died to liberate, including every race, color, nationality, breed, color of underwear or sexual orientation. Everyone.

Don’t get me wrong, my arms aren’t open to let everyone just walk in, hell close the borders to everyone for 10 years till our legal people all get jobs and security again, but people are so quick to make rash judgements of others because they wear pink shoes or dance the macarena or wear a yamaka or a saari.

So sick of bigoted irrational hateful people. That’s what this was no doubt. It had nothing to do with the TV. Every apartment in every project has one now adays.

Yes we need to fight this war and no I wouldn’t oppose closing the borders to everyone, but to those who have come here legally and in search of a better life, who in this case was helpful to our military, he has served more for the good of mankind than most so called citizens, especially those who take from others.

People taking from others just p’s me off and taking from someone who definitely paid his dues to be here and was targeted p’s me off even more. Sorry . Have a nice day 🙂 thanks for the platform.

locolupus

Is there proof of this claim?

I could not find any.

It’s probably because his neighbors saw the TV and went for it.

19D2OR4 - Smitty

Afghanistan is not in the ME. They are not middle eastern.

Twist

Who doesn’t judge people who dance the Macarena? 🙂

Formally known as JR

Asia

2/17 Air Cav

Is there additional information that you are privy to, Civilian She? How do you know that “they were targeted because they were middle eastern?” To my experience, burglars aren’t at all interested in the race, ethnicity, or national origin of their victims. In fact, they would like to avoid contact with the occupants of the target residence. Was there “Go Home Middle Easterner!” spray painted on the walls or something? Was there a swastika or, God forbid, a confederate battle flag left as a calling card? What is the additional information that you must have? You would not make such a rash judgement, I know.

3E9

I spent two years as a detective when I was a civilian LEO primarily working property crimes. Criminals don’t give a shit what ethnicity, religion, gender, etc. you are. All they care about is getting what they want that you have. Been here for 20 days, just hauled all of his tuff in and probably doesn’t have an alarm system or an active alarm system yet. Perfect target for a burglar. I would venture a guess there may be or will be soon a pattern of similar burglaries in that area. If it was a personal attack the entire house would have probably been trashed and everything that wasn’t taken would have likely been destroyed. At least based on my experience.

3E9

stuff not tuff

dnice

Right on 3E9 …we’ve had a string of burglaries on our town in jersey during work hours and I don’t think the care as long as it’s an easy hit…I’m glad we got a German sheperd this year – almost 80 pds now

3E9

Contrary to popular belief most residential burglaries occur during normal work hours. Easier and safer to break into a home when no one is there.

Stillserving

I would be willing to donate if someone set up a gofundme account for this guy. Having worked extensively with interpreters in both Iraq and Afghanistan, I think we should help him if possible

Robert Drabant

I agree with Still Serving. If someone sets this up, please let me know since I am willing to contribute. It is really too bad that our government did not set a program for these folks who put their lives on the line for our folks and in the process had their names added to death lists in their own countries.

GDContractor

If you open the linked article, there is information regarding how to donate in the final paragraph.

StillServing
GDContractor

Wow.

T10Charlie

Fortunately, nowadays you don’t even have to stand up to take action. Go make a difference: https://www.gofundme.com/bmdtvuwc

Formally known as JR

Mukhtar risked the lives of himself and his family working with the US. He’s more of an American than the people who stole his stuff.