Last night my husband and I were getting ready for bed when the doorbell rang. I thought it was creepy. It was 10:30 p.m. I went downstairs and asked, “Who’s there?” No answer. I thought perhaps UPS had a late delivery because of the holidays.

I peeked out the window, and, sure enough, there was a large box. I stared at it through the glass for a while. Something seemed wrong, and alarm bells went off in my head.

I have three small children, and my “mamma bear” instincts were activated. The thoughts that came to my head included “bad economy,” “desperate people” and “holiday psychopaths.”

My husband was about to open the door, baseball bat in hand, when the box began to open slowly and somebody climbed out. I panicked, closed the shutters and called 911.

The police arrived in five minutes, and by that time the person and box were gone.

The officer concluded that it was a teenage prank. We weren’t convinced. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep a wink last night.

This morning, we spoke to a neighbor who also found a box at his door. The only difference is that his wife opened the door and kicked the box. She heard a voice say, “Well, that didn’t work.”

It was a high school boy with a camera, ready to snap a photo of her scared face.

While we are relieved that it was only a prank, we’re also seriously bothered by the stupidity and dangerousness of this prank.

My husband was seconds away from swinging at the intruder with a baseball bat, and that would have ended in tragedy for all parties.

Please publish this letter about our ordeal to alert parents and teens about this dangerous prank.

What kind of fool goes to a stranger’s house and does this sort of thing? I’ve told several friends, and many of them said they would’ve opened the door with a loaded gun, shot first and then asked questions.

I hope that word gets back to this kid so he knows that he almost got himself killed.
Holly O’Hearn
Newbury Park