A group of men broke into Frightland, the haunted house theme park in Middletown, and spray-painted racial slurs and graffiti across attraction structures and prop vehicles sometime during overnight hours. Delaware State Police troopers were called to the property on Sunday, September 27, 2026, around 11:45 a.m. to investigate the damage, and the case remains open as authorities work to identify who was responsible.
Surveillance Footage Shows Men Entering Property
Troopers were called to Frightland, located at 309 Port Penn Road in Middletown, around 11:45 a.m. on Sept. 27, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Surveillance cameras had captured a group of men getting onto the property during the overnight hours before troopers arrived, the outlet reported. Once inside, the men spray-painted racial slurs and other graffiti throughout the attraction.
The vandalism wasn't confined to a single spot. The graffiti was placed onto structures and vehicles that are used as props for the haunted park, according to the same report, leaving damage scattered across multiple parts of the seasonal attraction just as its fall season gets underway. State police say an investigation into the vandalism is underway, though the evidence made public so far does not establish the extent of the damage or whether the incident has been formally classified as a hate crime.
Police Ask Public for Tips
Delaware State Police are asking anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be directed to Master Corporal K. Schrader at DSP Troop 9 by calling 302-378-5749, or submitted through a Facebook message to the Delaware State Police. Residents can also reach Delaware Crime Stoppers anonymously by phone at 1-800-847-3333.
Other Recent Cases in the Region
The Frightland incident follows other reports of racist graffiti surfacing around the region in recent memory. Police in Delaware County were investigating after antisemitic and racist graffiti was found on the side of a Wells Fargo Bank, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. And in Delaware itself, WHYY reported that vandals targeted the Iron Hill Museum's African American History Trail near Newark with racist graffiti for a second time that year.
Under Delaware's criminal code, penalties tied to graffiti offenses can include a minimum fine of not less than $1,000, restitution for property damage, and 250 hours of community service, with at least half of that service required to involve removing graffiti from public property, according to the Delaware Criminal Code. It remains unclear which, if any, charges apply in the Frightland case, and the identities of those responsible have not been made public. Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators as the search for the vandals continues.
