All tricks, no treats: 5 cases of criminals celebrating Halloween early

Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Despite an ever-expanding calendar of holidays and unofficial observances, it's safe to say that one stands out above the rest: Halloween (sorry, Arbor Day).

It's just a fact. No other holiday so perfectly combines free candy, costumed revelry and spooky hijinks.

Sadly, All Hallows' Eve comes only once a year, leading some enthusiasts to don their disguises out of season. While there's nothing wrong with a little early celebration, some treat-motivated costume-wearers have been caught getting up to less-than-legal tricks.

Nightmare at Pizza Hut

Florida's Marion County Sheriff's Office shared security camera images of two robbery suspects who wore "distinguishing masks" modeled after classic horror villains Freddie Krueger and the Scream killer.

The dastardly duo committed robberies at a Pizza Hut and at a Krystals store in Ocala as well as an attempted robbery at a Super 8 Motel.

"One suspect wears a 'Freddy Krueger' mask and the other wears a Scream mask," the sheriff's office said. "In all of the incidents, one is armed and threatens the employees while the other gathers currency in a bag."

Investigators said an undetermined amount of money was stolen during the robberies and the Super 8 Motel managed to foil the pair by locking the doors before they entered.

Hulk Not Steal Car

Police in Pasco, Wash., said an attempted car thief who fled the scene after being confronted by a witness left behind some unusual clues -- a pair of large green "Hulk Hands" attached to the vehicle's steering wheel.

"That male ran off, but left behind a pair of Hulk-hands attached to the steering wheel. They were not inside the vehicle before the prowl," police said.

The suspect, who presumably had returned to his normal human form after his aborted rampage, was arrested about an hour later when police spotted him walking two blocks away from the scene. The man, who was carrying paperwork stolen from vehicle, was charged with vehicle prowl and possession of stolen property.

Waffle House of Horror

The Marion County Sheriff's Office said suspects wearing masks modeled after a creepy clown and a demon-like creature with goat horns walked into a Waffle House in Ocala, Fla., around midnight and used a handgun to demand cash from employees.

"We have seen it before but it's not something we see every day," sheriff's office spokeswoman Lauren Lettelier said. "So we're hoping this very distinguishing element to this case can be noticed by our community and immediately rectify this case and close it and [hopefully bring] these people into custody."

The sheriff's office released security camera images in the hopes of identifying the owners of the unusual masks.

Highway Panda-monium

The Minnesota State Police shared a traffic camera image of a motorcyclist skirting the law by riding in a panda costume with an oversized head where his helmet should have been.

"So. Many. Questions," police said on Facebook.

The panda-suited biker had been reported by a 911 caller early in the summer and the member of the public said the costumed daredevil had been performing dangerous stunts with his vision apparently obscured by the mask.

Troopers were unable to locate the panda biker before he exited the highway, but dispatchers monitoring traffic cameras reported a second sighting in August.

Troopers stopped the panda-suited scofflaw on Interstate 394 and he told them the purpose behind his costumed stunts was to try to "go viral."

"The driver was cited for reckless driving and the panda head was confiscated," the Facebook post said.

"Halloween's not for more than a month. And even if Halloween was today, this would not be OK - or legal, in case you were wondering. Riders: Make sure you can see and be seen. A panda head will not protect you in a crash like a DOT-approved helmet would."

Prehistoric Hijinks

Police in Charleston, S.C., said a person in a Tyrannosaurus Rex costume spooked a team of carriage horses in the city. Witnesses said the person was growling at the horses, causing them to back up and crash their carriage into an unoccupied vehicle.

The carriage driver lost his balance and fell near a wheel, which ran over his leg. The man suffered a broken foot.

"The driver was transported to the hospital and suffered a broken foot. The horse named Yogi received very minor abrasions and is resting well back at the Big Red Barn with the other horse named Boo Boo," Tommy Doyle, manager of Palmetto Carriage Works, said in a statement.

Doyle speculated "radical animal rights activists" may have been behind the incident, but some other witnesses said it seemed as though the dinosaur did not actually intend to scare the animals.

Nicole Wells, 26, came forward as the person in the Cretaceous costume after initial news reports of the incident. She turned herself in to police and was cited on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and wearing a mask or disguise on a public street, a city code violation.