A Virginia family is living in fear after three people in Halloween masks tried to break into their home late Tuesday night, issuing chilling threats that were all captured on the family’s Ring security camera.
Happy Halloween
The incident took place around 10 p.m. on October 14 at the home of Shayla Whiteside’s mother in Alexandria, Virginia. Whiteside, who was at the house with her brother and her recently widowed mother, said she initially thought it was a prank — until the knocking turned into pounding, and the strangers outside began making violent threats. “At first, I said, ‘Happy Halloween,’” Whiteside told WUSA9. “Then they said, ‘It’s either you come out or we come in.’ That’s when I realized this wasn’t a joke.”
This Is Straight Out Of A Horror Movie
The video shows three masked individuals standing at the front door, wearing unnerving costumes and making menacing comments. When they couldn’t force their way in, the group moved to the back of the house, tearing through a screen door and causing damage to the property. Whiteside said that even after she called the police — loudly enough for the trespassers to hear — they didn’t stop. “They kept knocking, harder and harder,” she said. “My heart dropped when they said they were gonna take a chair and break down the door.” The family has since left the home, afraid the trio might make good on their threat to return. “At this point, we’re just afraid,” Whiteside said in an interview with Fox 5.
A Crime Caught on Camera
The footage from the home’s Ring camera has since been turned over to police. The video, according to Alexandria Police Chief Tarrik McGuire, shows the suspects approaching the front door in masks, making threats, and then moving toward the back of the house before fleeing in a car. McGuire said, “This is a very serious matter,” he said at a press conference. “What’s most concerning is that they not only knocked on the door and made alarming comments, but they went around to the rear of the house and damaged property.” He warned that the suspects — who have not yet been identified — could face charges of burglary and making criminal threats once apprehended. “We’re actively searching for you,” McGuire said. “We’re going to ultimately find you.” McGuire issued a pointed message to any parents whose teenagers might have been involved. “If you think your child was part of this, now is the time to come forward,” he said.
A Warning About Dangerous ‘Pranks’
While walking the trail, you may encounter a creepy version of the Easter Bunny, portrayed by Samantha Wisdom, who is the volunteer coordiantor for the event. The grounds around the Historic Green Gables home is transformed into Foggy Bluff Holiday Haunts for Halloween. The haunted trail is filled with ghosts, scary creatures, twisted elves, vampire turkeys, and more. The event runs Oct.17-18, 24-25, the 31st, and November 1, and the $20 adult and $10 children under 10 tickets raise funds for the restoration at 1501 S. Harbor City Blvd. (U.S.1) in Melbourne. For tickets and info, visit http://www.foggybluff.com.
McGuire also urged the public to think twice before approaching strangers’ homes, especially in costume. “Do not go up to people’s doors, make threats, or play with their lives,” he said. “People have the right to defend themselves.” Whiteside echoed that warning. She told reporters that she chose not to exercise her “Second Amendment right” that night — a decision she now reflects on soberly. “It could have been used,” she said quietly. The family’s doorbell camera is the only reason the suspects’ actions were documented. As the investigation continues, Whiteside and her mother remain in hiding. “We just want to feel safe again,” she said. Police are still reviewing the footage and searching for leads. The case, Chief McGuire emphasized, isn’t just about vandalism or fear — it’s about a line that should never be crossed, even on Halloween.
