While people normally do everything they can to avoid going to jail, residents formed a long, snaking line to get inside one on Sunday during the annual SCV Sheriff’s Station Haunted Jailhouse event.
Dressed as superheroes, animals, a claw machine and everything in between, people gathered at the sheriff’s station to celebrate the Halloween season with trick-or-treating, games, photo booths, food, costume contests, a petting zoo and a dollhouse-themed haunted maze. The event was hosted by the sheriff’s station and the Santa Clarita Boys & Girls Club, with all proceeds going to help the Boys & Girls Club.
“This all started out 29 years ago when the sheriff’s station wanted to do an open house and we had a haunted maze event, and we decided to combine them.,” Matthew Nelson, CEO of the Santa Clarita Boys & Girls Club. “What started out as just the jailhouse is now a whole carnival, and it’s really exciting to see people who came to this as kids bringing their families. This year we have a new dollhouse theme for the maze and I’ve seen people come out screaming and crying, and then some tough nine-year-olds come out saying that it wasn’t that scary. The jail is scary enough as it is so we sometimes don’t even have to decorate it that much, just turn the lights down.”
First-time attendee Omar Robles said that he enjoyed the event and that the haunted maze was scary enough to make his son scream several times, though the boy himself vigorously disagreed.
“I like that this event is an opportunity to see all the public servants actually interacting with the public,” Robles said. “It’s a lot of fun being able to take the kids to see the fire trucks and ambulances. This event only happens once a year, so that makes it worth it and I’ll definitely come back next year.”
Sheriff captain and Boys & Girls Club board member Robert Lewis said that he and the department look forward to the event every year.
“We love that this event is a great way to give back to the community,” Lewis said. “The law enforcement also brings their kids and families to this event and it’s an opportunity to show that we’re still human and part of the community. We can’t wait for the new station to open in 2020 to help grow the Haunted Jailhouse into an even bigger event.”
