'Project X' Parties Busted in California Mansions

A scene from Warner Bros. Pictures' comedy "PROJECT X," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Image Credit: Beth Dubber)

Police in Southern California have broken up at least three "Project X"-inspired parties in vacant multimillion dollars homes this month and are urging homeowners to be on the lookout for the illegal gatherings.

Inside a $5 million Rancho Santa De, Calif., mansion that had been left vacant, police found drugs, alcohol and a live DJ.  Many of the 400 teens at the party had heard about it through Twitter, police said.

"These parties are just hard to control. We are hoping that parents will help us. The teens just scatter and it's a safety issue for the public and for them," Lt. Kelly Martinez of the San Diego County Sheriff's Office told ABC News' San Diego affiliate.

Ever since the March 2  release of the movie "Project X," authorities across the country have dealt with a rash of illegal gatherings thrown by teens striving to mimic the high school party movie. In the film, three teens take over a vacant home and throw a party for their classmates that soon spirals out of control.

A spring break rave in a Houston mansion last month that was meant to emulate the movie turned deadly after several attendees fired guns, killing Ryan Spikes, 18, as police tried to break up the party.

Spikes suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston police told ABCNews.com.

Earlier this month in Dewey, Ariz., 65 teens were detained after deputies busted a post-prom desert party inspired by the film. A teen boy was found lying unresponsive in the road and was taken to the hospital for severe intoxication, ABC 15 reported.

In response to the "Project X" copycat parties, Warner Bros., the studio that distributed the film, told ABC News in a statement:

"These incidents are deplorable and it goes without saying that "Project X" is a fictional movie and that Warner Bros. does not condone-and strongly discourages-anyone from attempting to imitate conduct portrayed by actors in a controlled environment during the filming of a motion picture."