LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — Surveillance video captured a group of thieves stealing Halloween decorations from a La Mesa yard just two days before Halloween, leaving the homeowner’s display far less spooky.
Steve Peron, who has spent a decade building his Halloween setup, expressed his disappointment.
"Just disappointment," Peron said.
Around 3 a.m., surveillance cameras recorded four individuals in hoodies moving across Peron’s front yard on El Paso Street, grabbing Halloween decor. One thief, with his face obscured, looked directly at the camera before he and the others loaded decorations into a truck bed and drove away.
"It's horrible. I don't know how they sleep at night," Peron said.
The stolen items included a "Nightmare Before Christmas" animatronic character, inflatables, and grave markers, totaling about $1,000 in value.
Around the same time, a similar incident happened just down the street at Emily Perrine’s house.
"We had a big skeleton in our hammock," Perrine said.
In seconds, her display—consisting of about 20 pieces—disappeared. The thieves were seen fleeing in a similar truck. Perrine reported a total loss of $1,500, including several large animatronic figures.
"My tree was filled with ghosts and pumpkins," she added.
"It's gross. It's sad. Why? Halloween is just a few days away. I’m sure the neighborhood kids are upset. We like decorating for the neighborhood," Perrine said.
Her children were especially impacted, including her 12-year-old son, who was hesitant to participate in Halloween festivities.
"My 12-year-old son was upset. He didn’t believe it... He doesn't want to pass out candy because there’s no decorations for people to see," she said.
Despite the setback, both Peron and Perrine vow to keep their Halloween spirit alive.
"We'll still pass out candy. It will be fun. They will get over it, but it just sucks," Perrine said.
Video footage shows the truck bed filled with what appears to be stolen decorations. Anyone with information on the thefts is urged to call Crime Stoppers or La Mesa Police at 619-667-1400.
