Teen Party Crashers Allegedly Cause $45,000 Worth of Damage to House
Crashers advertise party on Facebook bringing up to 100 uninvited guests.
March 31, 2010— -- Returning from a dream Paris vacation, Jill and Dan Abbett found their Massachusetts home in shambles. Furniture was broken, doors were kicked in, holes were punched in their walls and ceilings, carpets were soaked in urine and bloody stains, and items were stolen.
The destruction was allegedly carried out by a group of teen party crashers, some of whom police say bragged about it on a Facebook page labeled "the Homewrecker Crew."
The Abbetts are the latest family to be victimized by party crashing, home trashing teens who flock to an empty home after an alert goes out on Facebook.
In upstate New York 84 teenagers have been charged in connection with causing $200,000 in damage to a vacant home after word spread over Facebook about a party at the house in February.
Delaware lawyer Stuart Grant sued a group of teenagers last October who he claims crashed a party his daughter threw. The suit claims the interlopers stole a jug containing roughly $500 in coins, prescription drugs which they allegedly crushed and snorted. They also allegedly stole electronics and "household items" the suit says. Grant is suing the teens for $6,000 in compensatory damages, and $30,000 in punitive damages.
A month after the Abbett's dream vacation turned into a nightmare, they are still reeling from the destruction and are furious with what they see as inaction by the school district.
"What they did to my house was despicable and disgusting," Jill Abbett, 42, of East Bridgewater, Mass., told ABC News.
According to Abbett, she went to Paris last month with her husband, parents, nieces and 16-year-old daughter leaving their 18-year-old son Alex behind to stay with friends.
On Feb. 20, Alex returned to his parent's house on Elm Street in East Bridgewater, according to his mother to let out the family cat. Police records say Alex found another teen playing basketball in Abbett's driveway who asked Alex to have a party at his house that night. Records say Alex invited over several people, but the teen allegedly logged onto a computer in the Abbett's home and advertised the party on Facebook.
"The juvenile posted on Facebook that there was a rager going on and to call or text for location," East Bridgewater Detective Michael Jenkins told ABC News.