Author: Elina Vaidya | Wild About Trial
Earlier this month, a masked trio played the scariest Halloween prank yet. In the dark of night, three individuals decked out in Halloween costumes started banging on a front door threatening to break in. What the family inside didn’t know was that the three strangers were actually their cousins.
Video surveillance shows the teen boys loudly threatening to take a chair and break down the door, while the folks inside the house were terrified for their lives and calling 911. The Alexandria Police Department tirelessly investigated this case in attempts to find the suspects and protect the community at large. It was not until two weeks later that they discovered the individuals were teenage boys, cousins of the family inside the house.
While there is some relief from this new information for the family, they still remain very unsure as to the motive of the incident. The family was unaware that their relatives would be coming to visit and have since made statements about how terrifying this experience was in the moment. One of the family members specifically commented on how it doesn’t even feel like a joke gone wrong, but a true scare.
Both the family and the commonwealth have announced they will not be pressing charges. However, it might be fun to see what the possible charges could have been. One possible charge could be Va. Code § 18.2-92, breaking and entering while the dwelling is occupied. This could likely be considered a Class 6 felony, holding a sentence of up to 5 years in prison. Since the individuals did not successfully break in, they could also face a less severe charge regarding their trespassing conduct. Specifically, Va. Code § 18.2-119, trespassing. This would likely be charged as a Class 1 misdemeanor, holding up to 12 months in county jail.
While the teenage boys might have gone a little too far in their prank of the year, they are lucky that they are not facing any penalty under these Virginia state codes. Next time you think about pulling an innocent prank, it might help to think about how this situation unfolded in a surprising way for both parties!
