Dead 'bodies' and fake fire: These Halloween decorations were so terrifying, people called 911

When the air turns chilly and neighbors begin pulling out the pumpkins, skeletons, the bloody "Help Me" signs and even the occasional dead body ... you know it's time for Halloween.

For fright night lovers across the country, Oct. 31 means one thing: scaring the heck out of the general public. Some take to the task more seriously than others.

Reports to police of mutilated bodies, abandoned corpses and mysterious infernos are not unheard of. But Dave Fornell, deputy fire commissioner for the city of Detroit, told USA TODAY that calls to 911 over decorations or costumes — while alarming — don't necessarily increase during this time of year.

"People don’t hesitate, they pick up the phone and call 911 if somebody needs help," he said. "We get calls like that every day, and they’re all real incidents. That type of call doesn’t bother us at all. That’s a justifiable call. We don’t see that as an issue."

A spokesperson for the LAPD Communications Division said the department received only one service call last year related to Halloween decor that resulted in a response.

"As with any other call for service, it isn't an inconvenience for our personnel as much as it is for the members of our community," the spokesperson said, adding that responses to hoaxes or non-police-related matters draw resources away from real emergencies. 

And while Halloween is not the busiest holiday of the year for first responders — that title goes to the 4th of July, according to a 2019 report by the Pew Research Center — people are still scared enough to call for help on occasion. Some of the most outrageous are included on this list:

Concerned neighbors report decapitated 'body' 

The sheriff's department in Tennessee's Greene County sent out on APB ... on the surrounding community. In 2017, the department received numerous calls about a gruesome Halloween decoration.

A homeowner artfully arranged a headless dummy beneath his closed garage door. Bloody handprints and a red splatter pattern completed the look.

"Do NOT call 911 reporting a dead body," a post on the official Facebook page for the county sheriff's department states. "Instead, congratulate the homeowner on a great display."

California home's fiery display 

A clever optical illusion fooled spectators who thought a house had caught fire.

Local firefighters visited a Riverside, California home in 2020 to investigate multiple reports of a fire, but the flickering flames were part of a "Pirates of the Caribbean"-themed Halloween decoration complete with a skeleton, a cannon, a ship and music .

Homeowners Carmen and Travis Long copied the idea from a theme park ride at Disneyland. The effect is created by shining orange and red lights on a satin cloth lining the homes' windows. A fan completes the illusion. 

The Long's said they checked in with the fire department every weekend. 

“In fact, one officer apologized for having to ask us to turn it down a bit, but he had to come to our door since someone complained about the music; he said it looked great,” said Carmen Long.

House covered in fake blood

One Texas man's dedication to his Halloween decorations earned him a visit from police.

Amateur artist Steven Novak refreshes his display of blood, gore and dead "bodies" with red-tinged corn syrup every day.

“It gets expensive, especially day after day,” he told the Orlando Sentinel in 2020.

A dummy impaled through the head with a knife rests on Novak's roof. Another with a head crushed beneath a safe — featuring an impressive corn syrup splatter — lays in front of the front door.

Further down the sidewalk, a chainsaw pins another dummy to the sidewalk. A wheelchair full of bloody limbs decorates the front lawn next to a body-shaped trash bag.

The grisly display led at least one passerby to call 911.

“The past few years, the rule has been that it needs to be believable, especially in the middle of the night. If someone walks by it, I want them to think, ‘Is that real?’” Novak told the Sentinel.

A 7-foot creature on the loose

An Arlington, Texas man was testing out his Halloween costume when he was accosted by police in 2020.

Concerned witnesses called the cops to report a five-legged creature, 7-to-9 feet tall with spikes walking down the street.

The monster in question was actually a man wearing a costume: a personification of "the psychological image of fear," according to the wearer.  

The man, who lived nearby, said he didn't mean to create a disturbance.

Bloody 'Help Me' sign alarms neighbors

A North Dakota family added a very effective sign to their Halloween decorations in 2018.

West Fargo homeowner Becky Muhs' blood-curdling decal spelling out "Help Me" spooked one neighbor enough to call 911. 

"I was out in the garage doing some work, and next thing you know it's dark out and I look down the driveway and see the sign in the window, a window where the neighbors never have the blinds open and think to myself, ‘What the hell is going on?’” neighbor Jay Thomas said, according to Inside Edition. "There were no other decorations up, just that sign."

The incident was brushed off with a laugh and police did not ask Muhs to take down the sign.

Michigan woman gets kick out of pranking neighbors

Detroit homeowner LaRethia Haddon's long-standing Halloween tradition led several calls to 911 in 2015.

For 25 years, Haddon has decorated her lawn with a dummy resembling a dead body, prompting near-daily visits from police and emergency response. The dead ringer attracted even more attention in 2015.

Haddon moves the dummy to a different location in her yard each morning and watches people's reactions from her living room window.

“The corner is always full of cars,” Haddon told The Detroit News. “People running up trying to do CPR. Once they find out it’s a dummy, it’s so hilarious.”

Haddon's son Kendrick Hardaway said people "get a kick" out of the dummy.

A Detroit police officer told the news outlet that, while the dummy isn't illegal, a display pointing out the counterfeit would be helpful.

Haddon said she just wanted to make people smile.

“I’m trying to bring laughter to Detroit,” she said. “We really need it.”

'Man' hit by a lawnmower ... while holding a beer

At least one person called 911 to report an accident after being fooled by a stuffed dummy crushed beneath a lawnmower.

Salisbury, North Carolina man Chris Deaton's 2011 Halloween display — complete with blood-stained blue jeans, tractor-mower and beer can — got "great reviews" the year prior, according to CBS affiliate WBTV.

"It's cool for a Halloween ornament," Deaton told the news outlet.

The following year, he moved the display to the road, which managed to frighten at least one witness enough to call the police.

Reach out to Chelsey Cox on Twitter at @therealco.