SAN CARLOS PARK, Fla. —
Residents in San Carlos Park, Florida, were startled Wednesday evening when a child dressed as the Grim Reaper roamed the neighborhood, ringing doorbells and peering through windows.
Resident Haley Harris described her encounter with the cloaked figure.
“I heard this, like, shriek. I thought it was a little kid that got hurt or something like that, so I turned,” Harris said. “I look at the Grim Reaper standing in the street with his, you know, his stick.”
“I know it’s Halloween season, but I was like, maybe this isn’t a joke. Should I run?” Harris said, recounting the moment. “I sort of start to jog inside, and then he started to chase after me. But then, he ended up walking off. So after that, I figured, you know, it’s probably just some kid trying to be funny.”
Harris shared a video of the encounter online, which showed the figure ringing doorbells and peeping through a door.
“You always have to have your head on a swivel, and someone just doing this [in] like broad daylight — that’s terrifying,” said Ava Camputaro, who reacted to the video.
Two neighbors who had the cloaked character on their doorsteps called the non-emergency line. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office later revealed that the Grim Reaper was a child with no criminal intent.
Harris said she ultimately believed it was a spooky prank but expressed concern for the child’s safety.
“I was worried more about his safety, especially, you know, a young kid who probably doesn’t know better going up to strangers’ homes looking strange,” Harris said. “It’s not Halloween yet, so some people might not be appreciative of that.”
The sheriff’s office confirmed the child was returned to their parents and advised residents to avoid confronting individuals in similar situations. Instead, they recommended using security cameras and contacting law enforcement.
