Video Captures Vandal Smashing 5-Year-Old Boy's Halloween Pumpkin
LIVERMORE (KPIX 5) — A neighborhood in Livermore is on the lookout Tuesday after a vandal was caught on camera smashing a five-year-old boy's Halloween pumpkin.
In the quiet little Livermore neighborhood, there's been quite a stir ever since the video of the cruel act was posted online.
A home surveillance camera caught the callous act of a vandal smashing a Halloween holiday pumpkin that had been left on the front porch of five-year-old Marcellos home.
The vandal appears to be a young male in his 20s with long straight hair
"He went like this," the boy told KPIX 5, motioning with both hands over his head before bringing them down.
Marcelo was upset to find his pumpkin smashed the following morning.
"I was sad," the boy said. "I was crying."
His mother decided to post the video on Livermore's Rants and Raves Facebook page, The clip garnered thousands of views and comments.
Marcellos neighbors were sad to hear the news as well.
"I was bummed. Makes you think twice about putting things out," said resident Jennifer Valley .
"It's like a Christmas tree, you know what I mean?" said neighbor Richard McCarty. "They go out with family to pick out this pumpkin, and the kid probably woke up in the morning to see what they had carved and now it's gone!"
Feeling bad for Marcello, McCarty and a friend decided to bring the Halloween spirit back to the boy's front porch by leaving a new pumpkin while he was away at school.
"I hope he is blessed by it," said one of the men.
When asked if they were going to let the boy know that they dropped off the new pumpkin, McCartys friend said, "No, they have a Ring camera."
"Yeah, we're on camera. They're going to know who it was on both parts," said McCarty with a laugh.
When he got home, Marcello was excited to see the new pumpkin and said he would be checking the surveillance camera to see if he could figure out who left it so he can thank them.
Marcello who plans to go out trick-or-treating dressed as "a red and black ninja" for Halloween.
The boy also had a message for the pumpkin smasher.
"If you did that to mine, you know it's fun for you, but not for other people," Marcello said.
At first, Marcello told his mother he wanted to keep the pumpkin inside, but she assured him with all the publicity and eyes and ears around, she didn't anyone would be having their pumpkins smashed in the neighborhood for a while.