Creepy masked trio behind attempted ‘break-in’ in US were relatives pulling a prank, say police

Three teens who donned creepy masks and costumes and were seen on a doorbell camera trying to break into a home in the US turned out to be family members pulling a Halloween prank, local police said.

The incident had happened on Oct 14 in Alexandria, a city south of Washington on the eastern coast of the US.

A 12-minute-long surveillance camera video captured the trio standing at the doorway and taking turns to ring the doorbell, knocking on the door and, at one point, jiggling its handle.

“It’s either you come out or we come in,” one of the masked men says in the video as the trio continues to demand that the family open the door.

The incident garnered national attention and sparked a police investigation, according to media reports in the US.

USA Today reported Alexandria police department chief Tarrick McGuire as saying at a press conference on Oct 27 that the culprits are cousins of the house’s residents, following more than 100 hours of investigation.

The suspects are teenagers, reported news agency United Press International (UPI).

Investigators received tip-offs after the footage went viral, Mr McGuire said, leading them to contact one of the suspects, who came clean.

The police chief said a woman admitted that she, her two sons and a nephew staged the prank, and two other adults and a child filmed the incident, USA Today reported.

‘Moral failure’

Mr McGuire described the incident as a “moral failure”, adding that the prank could have gone bad if someone shot the suspects.

On top of calling the police, Mr McGuire said, the home owner called her brother, who then came with a gun, UPI reported.

The police chief said: “These are not pranks to be taken lightly. It is a very serious incident.

“I hope this is a lesson learnt, not just for this particular family, but for anyone in the community during this holiday season.”

The police chief said that no charges will be filed, adding that the suspects will not be identified as the family did not want to pursue charges, USA Today reported.

Ms Shayla Whiteside, who lives in the home, said she thought it was a prank at first, reported news outlet Storyful.

She said the trio tried forcing her front door open, broke down her backyard fence, screamed threats and said that they would kill her and those in the home, and that they were coming back, Storyful reported.

When the police arrived at the scene, there was no indication that the residents at the home were aware of the prank, USA Today reported.