RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Thieves made off with five pieces worth about $3,000 from a popular Halloween house in Raleigh early Friday morning.
Homeowner Jesse Jones told our newsgathering partners at the News & Observer he spent 10 years collecting more than 50 life-sized figures for his house in Raleigh's Oakwood neighborhood. He said the thieves stole four life-size clown animatronics and a rare life-size Jason animatronic, a character from the "Friday the 13th" horror movie franchise.
Jones said he believes the theft happened between 11 p.m. Thursday and sunrise Friday.
"My wife said she heard a truck outside late but didn't think anything of it," he told the News and Observer. "My cameras didn't catch it. The clown house is basically gone."
Dozens of people stop to see the elaborate decorations outside of Jones' house every year.
"The thing about Halloween," he told The N&O last year, "is it doesn't matter who you are, your race, your religion. It's letting you escape reality."
Jones posted photos of the missing animatronics on social media in hopes someone captured photos of the thieves.