Scores of teenagers descended on an unoccupied home on Lake Gladewater over the weekend, leaving empty booze containers and a pile of questions in their wake.
According to multiple sources, the underage house party began with a social media invite and ended in several calls to 911. Gladewater Police officers ultimately broke up the gathering early Sunday morning, and the East Lake Drive homeowner first learned of it later that afternoon.
A pair of juveniles were detained that day, apparently hiding amid the mess in the home after the party was shut down hours earlier. Out of as many as 100 attendees Saturday – there was a smaller gathering on Friday – the two youths were referred to Upshur County juvenile probation as GPD pursues a larger investigation into the incident and the department’s response.
That’s a sticking point for the homeowner, who would only consent to an interview if no identifying information was included in this article.
“It’s unreal.”
According to the man, he and his wife are attempting to sell the house, and they never signed up for the scrutiny that comes with this type of criminal incident.
He has questions though: Why was he not contacted by officers? Why wasn’t the house cleared? Why were attendees allowed to leave and with no citations issued?
“Of course I have questions,” he said. “I want to hold the police accountable. There was a better way to handle this.”
The case remains an active and ongoing investigation, according to a Tuesday release from GPD, a case of Criminal Trespass of a Habitation.
“Investigators have interviewed multiple individuals who reported being invited to a party at the location through the social media platform Snapchat. The residence was not authorized for use, and the property owner did not grant permission for the gathering,” the department confirmed. “The residence was unlawfully accessed, and investigators are reviewing reports of additional potential criminal activity.”
With numerous underage individuals involved and photos from the party being circulated, the incident has sparked a back-and-forth on local social media accounts. The homeowner is sharing information with GPD, and the agency asks anyone with information on the incident to contact either Lt. Freddie Fitzgerald or Sgt. David Burrows at 903-845-2166.
“Once the investigation concludes, the department will conduct a full internal review of the initial police response to ensure accountability and best practices moving forward.”
A second home for the family, the lake house is on the market. The homeowners first heard something was up when their realtor dropped by ahead of a viewing and reported trash strewn across the yard.
“They got into our house,” the man’s wife reported. “Our furniture’s in the yard.”
Calling the police to the scene again, she entered the house with an escort. The two juveniles were discovered soon after, and the cleanup began.
Similar social media-driven incidents have been reported recently elsewhere in East Texas. According to a neighbor, before the Friday gathering July 18 – which drew about half as many young people – a group of males said they’d rented the residence for the week.
The night of July 19, cars were backed up well into the distance on both sides of the road, the neighbor said, only clearing the way when GPD officers were dispatched to the scene the first time.
After more calls to 911, most of the partygoers were clearing out by 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
The homeowners said they don’t know why their home was picked or how the party’s organizers gained access. It wasn’t enough to raise suspicions.
“Obviously they cased the place… Our yard service is out here every week. If anything is amiss, he would say something to me. We’ve got good neighbors on both sides of us.”
The man says he’s not looking to prosecute everyone involved, just the organizers who drew the crowd to the property and, allegedly, took an admission fee from the teens who attended.
“Should they have been there? No. Should they have been drinking? No,” he added, but only a fraction of the youths are responsible for getting in and for the mess that was left behind. That said, “If we find the people responsible for breaking and entering and hosting the party, yes,” he’ll pursue charges.
Authorities are keeping an eye on social media chatter in addition to the leads and statements they’ve already received, but there’s not much that can be shared at this stage of the case.
“I really can’t make any comments about anything because it is under investigation right now,” GPD Chief Kyle Ready said Tuesday.
In the meantime, the incident’s another cautionary tale in the age of social media.
“The Gladewater Police Department appreciates the community’s cooperation and reminds the public to respect private property and use caution when responding to invitations shared on social media,” according to GPD’s July 22 release. “Protecting our residents and maintaining the safety of our community remain top priorities.”