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Teenagers aged 16 and 17 were identified as pranksters who wore tactical vests and carried objects resembling rifles while approaching homes in Delaware’s Mallard Pointe neighborhood late Friday night. Police arrested the juveniles Sunday evening after executing a search warrant at one of their homes, where they recovered a gel bead gun, a tactical vest, and a hockey-style mask. Charged with harassment, criminal mischief, and trespassing, the teens’ actions alarmed residents but did not involve any threats of violence. Surveillance images showed masked individuals approaching houses around 10:50 p.m., prompting calls to police who then conducted searches with a K-9 unit but failed to locate the suspects immediately.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Cameras in Delaware's Mallard Pointe neighborhood captured at least two masked men wearing tactical vests and carrying apparent rifles knocking on doors late Friday night. Police received a report around 10:50 p.m. about suspicious activity, leading officers to the area where they found residents had been approached by one of these individuals while he was holding what appeared to be a rifle. Four additional men were also seen heading eastbound on Mallard Road – two on bicycles and two walking.
The New Castle County Police Department, with the aid of a K-9 unit, conducted searches but could not locate the suspects. Later, police revealed that the incident involved two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, who were charged with harassment, criminal mischief, and trespassing after being identified through information provided to investigators.Recovered from one teen's home was a gel bead gun, confirming the apparent weapons may have been non-lethal devices used as part of a prank.
Written for “Masked Men Prank Delaware Homes” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Two teenagers caught on camera wearing tactical-style vests and carrying what appeared to be rifles while approaching homes in a Delaware neighborhood late Friday night were pulling a prank, police said Monday.
asserted
police → catch → prank
The 16- and 17-year-old boys were identified Sunday after New Castle County police received information that helped investigators track them down following the encounters in the Mallard Pointe neighborhood.
asserted
investigators → identify → neighborhood
New Castle County Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Andrea Botterbusch confirmed to Fox News Digital that officers arrested the juveniles Sunday evening.
asserted
officers → confirm → juveniles
As part of the investigation, officers executed a search warrant at one of the teens' homes, recovering a gel bead gun, tactical vest and hockey-style mask.
asserted
officers → execute → gun
Both juveniles were charged with two misdemeanor counts of harassment, one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief and two criminal trespassing violations.
asserted
juveniles → charge → mischief
Police determined the teens had been knocking on residents' doors late at night as part of a prank that alarmed neighbors, but found that no threats of violence were made.
asserted
threats → determine → violence
Arraignment information for both juveniles was pending Monday.
asserted
information → pende → juveniles
The investigation began after residents in the Mallard Pointe neighborhood of New Castle reported seeing masked individuals approaching homes shortly before 11 p.m. Friday.
asserted
individuals → begin → Friday
Surveillance images released by police show one individual wearing a black hockey-style mask and tactical-style vest while holding what appears to be a rifle outside a home's front door.
asserted
what → release → door
A separate image shows another masked individual wearing a black vest approaching a residence.
asserted
individual → show → residence
Officers were called to the 1200 block of Canvasback Drive at about 10:50 p.m. after receiving a report of a suspicious person.
asserted
Officers → call → person
Residents told investigators that a masked individual carrying what appeared to be a rifle had knocked on doors before running away.
asserted
what → tell → doors
Police also reported seeing four individuals heading east on Mallard Road, including two riding bicycles and two on foot.
asserted
individuals → report → foot
Officers searched the neighborhood and surrounding properties with the assistance of a K-9 unit but were unable to locate the individuals.
asserted
Officers → search → individuals
Investigators initially believed the apparent weapons may have been airsoft-style guns, though police have not confirmed whether the recovered gel bead gun was the weapon seen in the surveillance images.
uncertain
gun → believe → images
The incident comes nearly two months after a man wearing a "Chucky"-style mask was caught on camera terrorizing pedestrians about 35 miles away in Philadelphia.
asserted
man → come → Philadelphia
The suspect, Zymire Hughes, 22, was arrested in Las Vegas later that month by members of the U.S. Marshals Service's Philadelphia office.
asserted
suspect → arrest → office
Fox News Digital's Mike Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
asserted
Sinkewicz → contribute → report
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