Maryland

Rockville couple opens door for home invader thinking it's trick-or-treaters

The homeowners were not injured, police say

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A couple in Rockville, Maryland, got an unexpected scare on Halloween when they mistook a home invader for trick-or-treaters, police say.

The couple told police they heard the doorbell ring Tuesday night at their home on Pepple Ridge Court and thought it was trick-or-treaters.

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But when the husband opened the door, the suspect forced his way into the foyer of the home, breaking the threshold, according to court documents and Rockville City Police.

The suspect said he was being followed and he was afraid, the homeowners told police.

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The wife then told him he had to leave and she was calling the police, but he refused to leave, according to the court documents.

Eventually, the husband managed to force him out of the home, and the suspect went to a neighbor's home, where he was arrested, court documents said.

Mario Antonio Portillo was charged with burglary and two counts of trespassing a private property.

The homeowners were not injured.

The suspect was taken into custody and faces several charges. He is described as a 23-year-old man.

It's not clear if the homeowners and the suspect know each other.

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