We all love a good prank. They’re funny, harmless, and everyone has a good laugh afterward. But sometimes pranks can go too far, causing property damage, seriously injuring victims or wasting police resources.
Below are 8 examples of practical jokes that resulted in arrests.
1. Four teens arrested for “Fire in the Hole” hot sauce prank
The “Fire in the Hole” prank is a classic that has caught on lately thanks to people sharing their videos of it on YouTube. The prank is done at drive-thru restaurants, and it involves customers taking the lid off their drink and tossing the drink back at the employee in the window, while shouting “Fire in the hole!” These 4 teens took the prank too far by tossing hot sauce at an employee and burning his eyes.
2. Prankster gets arrested for squirting Tom Cruise with a water gun
At the premiere of his movie War of the Worlds, Tom Cruise was walking the red carpet and answering questions for a group of reporters. One prankster, who was posing as a reporter, asked Cruise a question, and when the actor stepped up to the microphone (which was actually a disguised water gun) to respond, the reporter squirted him in the face with a water gun. Police detained and arrested all 4 men who were in on the practical joke on charges of assault.
3. Kidnapping prank lands father and daughter in jail
A Louisiana father and his 12-year-old daughter had a brilliant idea for a practical joke. They would drive down the highway with the girl bound and gagged with duct tape, pretending to be a kidnapping victim. That’s sure to get some laughs out of their fellow motorists and the cops! After several worried motorists called the police to report a kidnapping, the father and daughter were pulled over and arrested on criminal mischief charges.
4. North Carolina man arrested for prank gone horribly wrong
Chad Mayes had a bunch of people over to his house when he decided it would be funny to shoot his friend with a “blank” round from his AR-15 style rifle. The only problem? The round he fired wasn’t a blank, it was live. The victim was rushed to the hospital, and Mayes was obviously arrested.
5. Balloon Boy Hoax lands dad and mom in jail
After a homemade balloon aircraft that was believed to have a 6-year-old boy inside flew away, there was a frantic scramble by the military and law enforcement to rein the balloon in and save the child’s life. When the balloon landed and didn’t have the kid inside, the true story of what happened began to unfold. As it turns out, the whole thing was a big hoax by parents Richard and Mayumi Heene to get attention and land a reality show. As a result of their prank, the dad was sentenced to 90 days behind bars, while the mother spent 20 days in jail for her role in it.
6. Senior prank lands 5 teens in jail
Senior pranks are a tradition at almost every high school across the country, but when these pranks cross the line and break the law, that’s unacceptable. A group of teens caused more than $1,300 in damage at their high school when they vandalized the property with all sorts of graffiti, silly string, and toilet paper. 5 teens out of the large group were apprehended and arrested.
7. Bottle bombs prank lands honor student in jail
18-year-old Elphbert Laforteza, a high school senior honor student, brought a dozen homemade plastic bottle bombs to school as a senior prank. 6 of the bombs exploded, making a sound like “a bazooka.” Thankfully, no one was injured, but authorities say the bombs were strong enough that someone could have been killed. The student was arrested on 5 counts of making a destructive device and 8 counts of use of an explosive device to injure.
8. Miami University students arrested for burglarizing a frat house
Just last month, 3 Miami University students—one wearing a blonde wig—were arrested for burglarizing a frat house. The men were entering the house as a prank, but they were caught before they had a chance to pull off their practical joke. Each was charged with felonies and misdemeanors.
Do you know someone that’s been arrested for a practical joke? Share your cautionary tale by leaving a comment.
