After more than 200 party-goers broke into an $8 million mansion in Florida, sheriff's deputies want to make one thing clear: open house parties are illegal.
The Walton County Sheriff's Office is seeking more information after a wild party was thrown Friday night inside a multi-million dollar WaterColor mansion without the homeowners' knowledge.
Authorities were responding to a noise complaint when they discovered the unauthorized gathering. Officials said that by the time officers arrived to the home, many of the party-goers had left.
"An open house party in a home you break into is a burglary," the Walton County Sheriff's Office said Monday in a Facebook post along with several videos from the chaotic party and a request to help find those responsible.
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Snippets of the night's events were captured in videos and photos circulating on social media, which were filmed by the perpetrators themselves.
In one video, dozens of young adults are seen partying in the crowded living room of the invaded home. Another showed two men wearing boxing gloves as they "turn the foyer of the $8 million home into a boxing ring."
Several pictures show a young boy flaunting the homeowners' championship rings, a group of young adults posing with alcoholic beverages, and two young men smoking cigars in the home's private theater.
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A social media video even captures the young adults swarming out of the home as police arrive, screaming expletives and, "We gotta go!" as they run out of the door.
In addition to burglarizing and vandalizing the mansion, law enforcement officials said several items were stolen during the wild house party, including a video game console and clothes.
"Apart from the damage caused and the items stolen, it's a complete violation of someone's home that you can't put a price on," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "The feeling when you know someone went into your closet, tried on your clothes, and used your bathroom doesn't have a dollar amount attached to it."
The Walton County Sheriff's Office is hoping to crackdown on open house parties by using this incident as an opportunity to teach young adults the harsh realities of social media "privacy" as well as a lesson in judgment.
"Snapchat isn't private. You may think it is if you are a teenager or someone in their early 20s and you are not yet worldly," the department wrote. "Your friends will snitch. Word gets out. You'll be tagged in pics on the Gram. Also, we can subpoena Snapchat."
The department is also urging parents to hold their children accountable for their actions which can so clearly cause so much harm.
"Before anyone says, this is just "kids being kids," we want you to ask yourself how you would feel if your home was ransacked and your sense of peace and security was taken from you," the department said.
As of June 20, the organizer of the party has yet to be discovered, though the department is aware of a flyer created to promote the function beforehand.
The Walton County Sheriff's Office is urging anyone with information to contact (850)-892-8111 or (850) 863-TIPS to do so anonymously.
