Teens emulating 'Project X' party

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SAN DIEGO, April 29 (UPI) -- Police say the movie "Project X" has inspired teens across Southern California to throw sometimes dangerous parties in vacant mansions.

California authorities recently found drugs and alcohol at a party in an empty $5 million Rancho Santa Fe mansion. Many of the 400 teens in attendance said they heard about the event through Twitter, ABC News reported.

"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 KGTV-TV, San Diego.

Police have urged adults to be on the lookout for the illegal and sometimes deadly gatherings.

A spring break party at a Houston mansion in March turned dangerous when several party-goers fired guns as police tried to break up the gathering. Ryan Spikes, 18, died from multiple gunshot wounds, ABC News reported.

Warner Bros., the studio that distributed "Project X," called the incidents deplorable in a statement.

"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," the studio said.