Halloween Trick: Sussex Man Charged With Damaging Goat Skull Prop
Waukesha haunted house owner tells authorities the prop was worth $2,500.
A Sussex man’s Halloween romp through a haunted house in Waukesha resulted in his arrest after a large goat skull was damaged, according to a criminal complaint.
Paul M. Lange Jr., 49, was charged Thursday with criminal damage to property. If convicted, he faces up to $10,000 in fines and nine months in jail.
Lange is schedule for an initial appearance in court Feb. 11.
According to the criminal complaint:
Lange was in the Shadow Lands haunted house at the Wisconsin Feargrounds at the Waukesha County Expo Center when he was accused of breaking off the jaw on the prop Oct. 27.
Lange was detained and interviewed by law enforcement after the incident. He told authorities he couldn’t see very well because it was dark and he wasn’t wearing his glasses.
Lange denied damaging anything in the haunted house, stating he didn’t recall coming in contact with any skull- or head-like props.
“I just pushed them aside,” Lange told a deputy. “I didn’t hang on them or anything.”
However, a witness said he saw a man matching Lange’s description walk past the goat skull, return to it and shoved the prop into the wall, causing it to break.
The owner of the haunted house estimated the damage to be around $2,500.
Jill Lane
12:07 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
$2500 for a goat skull?
Scott
1:44 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Maybe it was a real goat skull. That might be the replacement cost. pay for the goat. have it slaughtered, taxiderm the skull. The cost sounds about right. NOT!
SBR
12:10 pm on Sunday, February 3, 2013
No, buy two goats, mate them, raise the goat from birth to adulthood. Slaughter the goat, preserve the skull. Not sure all of that is $2500. Real crime here is the attempted insurance fraud.
Pennyluhu
10:43 pm on Sunday, February 3, 2013
WHAT??!?$#? Are you serious, SBR? Vandalism of property belonging to others isn't serious enough for you? This is how anarchy begins and I am not attempting top over dramatize event, I'm just sayin'when people don't respect each other...(Insurance wasn't even mentioned so don't ass-u-me)
Bobby0522
11:27 pm on Monday, February 4, 2013
Hey I think I remember this “goat skull”! If I recall this “goat skull”, correctly from attending last year it is a giant animation prop. I mean big enough where I couldn’t wrap my arms around it. This haunt uses some of the best sets and props I’ve ever seen. You figure some of those bigger props at the Halloween stores me or you shop at could cost upwards of $300. I can only imagine what this thing would cost $2500 or more? Plus this wouldn’t be something you just pick up from a shop around here; shipping cost would be quite substantial. It’s a shame when people like this try to show off to their friends or be a “tough guy”. I say it’s about time they don’t just get off the hook with a simple ticket or warning.
Lisbon Mom
1:59 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013
This guy breaks a Halloween prop and faces $10,000 in fines / 9 months in jail, but someone who drives drunk faces less of a punishment? I'm glad lawmakers have their priorities straight.
john segundus
8:23 am on Saturday, March 9, 2013
^ well said, Lisbon Mom