LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) – It was a nightmare before Halloween. Thieves were caught on camera making off with thousands of dollars worth of Halloween decorations at two La Mesa homes.

ABC 10News reporter Michael Chen followed up with the homeowners after they received a special surprise.

Cellphone video shows Emily Perrine’s stunned children watching a scary surprise Wednesday night.

“Look, guys,” Perrine can be heard saying as her children exited their SUV.

“It’s so good!” exclaimed her youngest daughter.

The emotions were very different a day earlier.

“It’s terrible. Why? It’s a few days before Halloween,” Perrine said. talking to me on Tuesdayafter she and a neighbor on El Paso Street were targeted by thieves, caught on video grabbing Halloween decorations.

Perrine lost dozens of decorations, including several animatronics. Her three children were distraught, including her 12-year-old son.

“He was upset, he couldn’t believe it, he didn’t want to pass out candy,” she said on Oct. 29.

But after our story ran, a Clairemont Mesa woman contacted Perrine, responding to her post on the Nextdoor app.

“She said her kids are older. They were the cool house at Halloween when they were younger, and now they’re all out of the house now…and they offered to give me her Halloween decorations. I had no idea how many,” said Perrine.

The amount donated was so scary, in a good way.

“I said thank you a million times, I almost cried. I’m so excited to surprise my kids with this,” Perrine said.

In total, dozens of decorations were donated, including eight animatronics.

A few hours later, her three children would receive the surprise after more decorations were put up.

Perrine thinks the most excited of her kids, excited, was her 12-year-old son.

“Michael Myers is cool,” her son said in the cellphone video.

“Did we save Halloween?” Emily asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

Perrine plans to put up all the decorations in time for Halloween tonight. She hopes to incorporate the decorations as part of a new neighborhood tradition for future Halloweens.