Tyler Haugen is used to cars pulling up in front of the Oakland Hills home, which he and his husband David Petlin have turned into an amazing recreation of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
So he thought nothing of it when a truck pulled up to the house Thursday afternoon while he and husband were making the final preparations for that evening’s show.
"I thought they were just going to enjoy the show," he said. "And instead they decided they were going to take some of our Halloween decorations."
The thieves hauled away a major set piece - a five-foot hearse with a skeleton inside, being pulled by a skeleton horse. Haugen called police and neighbors came to their aid but the suspects were able to get away with the hearse in their truck bed.
Thankfully, they didn’t get very far.
"Our savior was a neighbor who drove by and said, 'I think I saw your carriage sitting on the side of the road about a quarter mile back that way,'" said Haugen. "And sure enough, my husband and I went, hand carried it back to the house and it’s out here again tonight."
The hearse did sustain some damage, which Haugen estimates will cost several hundred dollars to repair.
"We believe it may have even just flown out of the back of the truck as they turned the corner because it looked very hobbled," he said, although they were able to make some temporary repairs to ensure it remains a part of the show.
The hearse, along with all of the other decorations, have sat out in front of the property all month, delighting visitors who come by to see the show the couple puts on in the evening.
"Just devastating to literally be on your front porch and see someone taking your stuff," said Haugen. But the show will go on.
"Our spirits are not broken. We’re just going to keep going with it."
The couple plans to hold their evening show for two more nights as planned.