‘Dirtbags' steal generator from haunted house fundraiser for high school seniors

CONCRETE, Wash. — A haunted house set up to benefit Concrete High School was unexpectedly forced to shut down this weekend.

Every year, volunteers with Skagit County Fire District 10 set up the haunted house to raise thousands of dollars supporting a scholarship fund for seniors.

On Saturday night, a bold thief stole the department's $1,000 generator while it was running lights and effects for the haunted house.

Officials said this year’s haunted house was on pace to be their best year yet – until Saturday night.

“A lot of these kids up here, they’ve grown up in low income housing and going to school is pretty major for them. They put in for scholarships all over the place,” volunteer firefighter Rebekah Luttrell told KIRO 7’s Gary Horcher on Monday.

Luttrell said the generator was stolen just before they opened the doors to some 500 people coming.

“Dirtbags! Like you’re taking from kids, you’re taking from the Fire Department,” Luttrell said.

Luttrell said she figured the department would have to buy another generator with $1,000 worth of funds they just raised.

However, Lifestyle Honda in Mount Vernon offered to replace the generator for free.

“That’s $1,000 that you know we still get to put toward our community,” Luttrell said.

Luttrell said the whole point of the fundraiser is to help people in need to better their lives and gave a message to the generator thief: “If there’s anything that we can do to help that person not have a struggle – all he had to do was ask.”

The haunted house is expected to be back open on Halloween night and Luttrell said the donated generator will be the most secure thing in the warehouse.

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