By Emma Barrett
Halloween tricksters were out Tuesday night, Oct. 31, but Orem residents did not suffer too much damage at their hands.
Lt. Ned Jackson of the Orem Police Department said the department received seven complaints of Halloween mischief.
He said there were fewer pranks this Halloween than there have been in past years. Approximately five years ago, the police department sent extra officers to one area of Orem because they received so many complaints.
Jackson said the rain probably convinced some Halloween tricksters to stay at home.
Three of Tuesday night’s complaints involved people throwing pumpkins – a popular Halloween trick.
Smashed pumpkins liberally dot the streets of Orem, but only those people whose property was damaged called the police, he said.
Two teenage boys were caught and cited for criminal mischief when they threw a pumpkin through the window of a home under construction near 750 N. 1000 West, Jackson said.
Tricksters broke the front door of a house at 600 N. 750 East when a large pumpkin was thrown at the door, he said.
A pumpkin was also thrown through the rear window of a car parked at 1400 North and Main Street, Jackson said.
Not all of the Halloween tricks involved pumpkins.
Pranksters used construction adhesive to glue shut two doors of a business at 44 W. Center St., Jackson said.
A juvenile got personal attention from Halloween tricksters when they ran by him and sprayed him with pepper spray, he said.
Pranksters stole a ghost from a front porch near 500 South and Main Street, Jackson said.
One 15-year-old prankster gave a child tricks instead of treats and put a deer brain in the eight-year-old’s trick-or-treat bag.
Jackson said this prank was extremely unusual. The younger child’s parents were really upset.
Police responded to a call about the prank, but the 15-year-old’s parents had already spoken with the younger child’s parents and rectified the situation, he said.
