ST. LOUIS, MO – Doorsteps were left mysteriously empty after everyone’s favorite Halloween squash seemed to sneak off in the middle of the night in the suburbs of St. Louis. Was it ghosts, ghouls, or perhaps the angry neighborhood witch? Shockingly, this Halloween mystery is just another case of teenage shenanigans.

U.S. News reported that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch began tracking down the vanishing pumpkins disappearing from subdivisions of Maryland Heights last week. Police have since caught the three pumpkin perps orange-handed with over 48 pumpkins and one gourd in their possession–their pumpkin-crammed SUV notably “top-to-bottom orange,” according to Captain Scott Will.

Hoping to restore Halloween and return pumpkins to their proper place as kings of the stoop, police posted a “pumpkin lineup” online for St. Louis residents to identify. After posting the lineup on Facebook, Captain Will said the police have been “inundated” with people coming to track down their Halloween décor. However, twelve pumpkins remain unclaimed and ready for carving.

Two 18-year-olds were charged with misdemeanor stealing, while a 16-year-old was referred to juvenile court. I guess that’s what you get when you mess with Halloween.