Virginia parents were arrested after their twin sons’ birthday party spiraled into an alcohol-fueled gathering, prompting police to shut it down as hundreds of teenagers scattered through nearby streets.
Lisa Vaughan, 45, and Aubrey Vaughan, 55, were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and maintaining a common nuisance after their party at a $3 million home in McLean became overwhelmed by teenagers on November 6.
Officers arriving at the property heard fireworks exploding and saw intoxicated teenagers stumbling around the yard.
‘We haven’t had any alcohol,’ Lisa told Fairfax County Police, according to bodycam footage. ‘We’ve been making sure.’
‘Are you joking?’ an officer asked.
‘No,’ she replied. ‘I’m not joking. We’ve been making sure there’s no backpacks, no alcohol.’
‘You don’t smell it in the air right now?’ the officer asked.
‘No, I don’t smell anything,’ Lisa answered.
Teenagers were seen running through the streets after police broke up an underage party in McLean, Virginia, on November 6
Police responded to reports that between 100 and 300 children were gathered in Lisa and Aubrey Vaughan’s backyard
‘It reeks like liquor, and we’ve got drunk kids walking everywhere,’ the officer replied.
Moments later, a powerful explosion came from behind the house, followed by the echoes of teenage boys shouting, ‘Oh!’
Officers rushed toward the back of the property as teenagers poured out from the side of the home. Smoke was visible in the background.
Grainy bodycam footage showed police ordering the large group of teenagers to ‘go home.’ Another major explosion followed moments later.
The teenagers were later seen running home through the darkened streets.
Neighbors made several calls to police at around 9 p.m., reporting that between 100 and 300 teenagers had gathered at the Vaughan home.
Aubrey told Fox 5 DC that the event was intended for eighth graders, but high school students eventually arrived and the gathering quickly became unmanageable.
The parents said they were ’embarrassed’ by the arrests and made their twin sons visit neighbors door-to-door to apologize, Aubrey told the outlet.
The Vaughans were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and maintaining a common nuisance. Aubrey (right) said they were ’embarrassed’ by what happened
‘We haven’t had any alcohol,’ Lisa told Fairfax County Police, according to bodycam footage. ‘We’ve been making sure.’
Aubrey said he was grateful that police arrived to clear out the unruly guests and that it was the first party the couple had ever hosted
Aubrey said he was grateful that police arrived to disperse the unruly guests. He also said it was the first party the couple had ever hosted.
He insisted that the family had prohibited alcohol on the property. Aubrey told Fox 5 DC that the invitation clearly stated backpacks and alcohol were not allowed, and that anyone arriving with either would be asked to leave.
He later discovered that the party had been promoted on Snapchat, attracting uninvited guests.
‘Mr and Mrs Vaughan were quickly overwhelmed with older, high-school-aged kids crashing their middle-schooler’s party,’ their attorney, Alaric Piette, told the Daily Mail.
‘When people see this, they should put themselves in the shoes of a parent. The lesson is simply to make sure you’re watching Snapchat,’ Aubrey told Fox 5 DC.
The parents were shocked when police called the following morning and asked them to turn themselves in, attorney Alaric Piette said.
‘They are upset and embarrassed by these charges, but they understood that the police were doing their job,’ Alaric told the Daily Mail.
‘However, they are devastated and their reputations have been permanently damaged by the article released by the FCPD Media Office. The article does not include the usual disclaimer found in DOJ press releases stating that Mr and Mrs Vaughan are innocent until proven guilty.’
Both parents complied with the order and were released on $1,000 bonds.