Mystery pumpkin carver haunts neighborhood

MANASSAS, Va., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Residents of a neighborhood in Manassas, Va., said someone stole local pumpkins, only to return the items carved in traditional Halloween fashion.

Manassas resident Chrissi Blasius said the mysterious pumpkin carver struck her home recently, stealing a pumpkin from her front porch and returning the item with a face carved out of it, the Manassas (Va.) Journal Messenger reported Friday.

"I had a pumpkin -- a little larger than a basketball -- on my front porch early this week. Someone came during the night, carved it and brought it back. It's amazing," Blasius said.

"The pumpkin had two triangle eyes, a triangle nose and a mouth with two teeth missing," she added.

Nearby resident Lisa Harlow said one of her pumpkins was also stolen this week and, just like Blasius, she found the pumpkin returned and nicely carved the same night.

"It's Halloween and I guess people do strange and weird things," Harlow told the Journal Messenger.