Halloween costume ‘burglary’ in Virginia turns out to be wild family prank caught on camera

Three individuals wanted for burglary after terrorizing a home in Halloween costumes have been discovered to be related to the owners.

Sometimes, it be your own people. After three individuals in Halloween masks were wanted for burglary in Alexandria, Virginia, earlier this month, the culprits have been revealed in a wild twist that more than likely set off a family group chat.

On Monday, October 27, authorities announced during a press conference that the now-viral masked trio seen on Ring camera footage approaching a home and threatening violence against its occupants — a recent widow and her two adult children — were actually members of the homeowner’s own family, WUSA9 reported.

After 100 hours of detective work and a confession, Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire confirmed, “Investigators discovered that the three masked individuals were related to the victim.”

According to McGuire, an adult female suspect “later confessed” that she and her two sons, along with her nephew — all in their early teens — were behind the incident. Two additional adults and another child were nearby filming the so-called prank.

“In total, there were three adults and four children involved in what we now know was a prank,” McGuire explained. “I want to specify that the victim had no knowledge of this event.”

Since the suspects are relatives, the family has chosen not to press charges, and their names will not be released. Initially, given the extent of the property damage, they were wanted for burglary and possibly making violent threats.

“While this incident may not result in a criminal prosecution, for me, my team, and for this community, it represents a moral failure,” McGuire said. “A moral failure where consequences could have easily turned deadly.”

He added that similar pranks often spike around this time of year — and can end tragically, as this one nearly did.

On October 14, three members of the group, dressed as menacing Halloween characters, including a Michael Myers, approached the home, rang the doorbell repeatedly, banged on the door, and shouted violent threats while refusing to leave. At one point, they went around back, broke through a fence, and trashed the screened-in porch.

Footage of the incident quickly went viral due to the intensity of the “prank” and the level of damage left behind. Now that this has been ruled as just another case of somebody’s cousin “playing too much,” one can only imagine how Thanksgiving is going to go down!