Halloween scare: McKinney man in mask caught on camera dumping candy into bowls

MCKINNEY, Texas – McKinney residents raised concerns after security camera footage showed a stranger dumping Halloween candy into bowls left outside homes on Monday night.

A 19-year-old man was seen taking candy out of a backpack and placing it into the bowls while concealing his identity with a mask, hoodie, hat and gloves.

Several neighbors saw the person on Halloween, but police say there will be no criminal charges filed.

“We’ve been here 15 years. We set out a candy bowl every year,” said Salina Atilano, who home with her husband when their porch camera spotted the stranger. “We just stopped what we were doing, and we watched it live.”

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They did not know the person, so after he left Rudy Atilano followed him and wrote down his license plate.

“He walked right through the festive situation. Didn’t acknowledge anybody,” said Rudy Atilano. “It just didn’t really sit right.”

The Atilanos called the police, who say they did a drive through the neighborhood, but did not locate the person.

They posted their video to social media, and they’re not alone. Another neighbor sent FOX 4 similar footage.

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“My Mama heart was like, oh my gosh, there are all these children that are eating this candy that could be bad,” said Atilano.

McKinney police investigators returned to the neighborhood Tuesday to collect evidence.

They posted Atilano’s video to social media to identify and find the person of interest.

Tuesday evening they found the man.

Police say the 19-year-old told them he had been passing out candy in the neighborhood and was filling an empty bowl. 

The candy collected as evidence tested showed no signs of tampering and tested negative for narcotics.

Atilano says it is a positive outcome, but she’s still unsettled, and does not regret calling the police.

“We’d rather be safe than sorry,” she said.

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Police say they will not release the 19-year-old’s name because they are not charged with a crime.