Vacant listings have been hit by break-ins, cover charges, and costly damage, agents say.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Real estate agents and homeowners in San Diego County say they are building an informal warning network to stop teenagers from breaking into vacant homes for sale or rent and throwing large parties promoted online. The gatherings, which police say can include a cover charge, have led to property damage and few arrests.
The push is being driven by a sense of urgency in a market where many properties sit empty between showings and escrow milestones. Agents say the parties can form within minutes of an address being posted in private group chats, leaving little time to react. Police say they can clear a house once a complaint comes in, but proving who organized the event can be difficult, and that gap has left agents feeling they must prevent break-ins before crowds arrive.
Eric Vaca, a homeowner with a listing in the Otay Mesa neighborhood, said he learned how quickly a quiet night can turn when his Realtor called on the evening of Jan. 23 and told him to get to the property and dial 911. Vaca said an open house was scheduled for the next morning, and he expected a routine weekend of showings. Instead, he said he arrived to find more than 60 people gathering around the home, entering through side gates and moving into the backyard. As police responded, Vaca said nearly two dozen teenagers came out of the house, most appearing to be high school age. A young man who said he showed up late told reporters he had heard there would be a party and did not realize what he was walking into.
Vaca said he walked through the five-bedroom home afterward and found smoke detectors cut down from ceilings. He said the smell suggested people had been smoking, and he said the scene left him stunned even though major destruction was avoided. “I had no idea,” Vaca said of the call that set the response in motion. He later described feeling grateful that the warning came in time to limit damage and keep the property on track for showings. Agents say that kind of narrow escape is becoming a goal: catch the address early, arrive quickly, and get law enforcement there before a crowd settles in.
Investigators say the parties follow a repeatable playbook. Police say flyers circulate on social media listing a date, a time, and a cover price, while the address is withheld until minutes before doors open. San Diego Police Lt. Cesar Jimenez said he has seen flyers advertising a $10 cover charge, and he said organizers collect money at the door once they have gained entry. He said some events appear to include a person acting as security and music equipment, reinforcing the view that the parties are planned. Jimenez said some suspects search for empty targets by visiting open houses and checking listing sites to see which homes are vacant, comparing the approach to how a burglar might stake out a location.
An investigation by local reporters documented at least six parties inside homes listed for sale or rent since August, including five within a 32-day span. Jimenez said police are aware of roughly 15 to 20 vacant-house parties across the county during the past year. Agents say the problem is not limited to one neighborhood, with incidents described in Otay Mesa, Skyline, and Spring Valley. With listings sometimes vacant for longer periods, agents say even a single night can expose a property to trespassers, vandalism, and safety hazards, especially when a home sits dark and unmonitored between showings.
Realtor Vanessa Munoz said one of her listings in the Skyline neighborhood was hit by a destructive party that lasted about six hours. She said she found fireworks damage that left burn marks on walls, a human-size hole in a wall that suggested a fight, and a shattered sliding glass door. Munoz said repair costs were about $7,000. The timing made it worse, she said, because the home was already in escrow and nearing closing, forcing repairs to be completed quickly to keep the sale moving. Munoz said she was relieved no one was hurt and the home did not catch fire, but she described the experience as unlike typical issues agents sometimes face with vacant properties.
Other property owners have reported far larger losses. Retired Navy Lt. Troy Esaki previously said teenagers caused about $250,000 in damage to his Oak Park rental property, describing the aftermath as heartbreaking and emotionally exhausting. Agents say those big numbers are part of why the warning network has gained momentum. They say even smaller incidents can derail a deal by delaying appraisals, triggering repair negotiations, or spooking buyers who worry about neighborhood safety. Agents also say the presence of fireworks, broken glass, and crowded rooms creates a risk that can extend beyond the home itself to neighbors and first responders.
Violence at a crowded party is a fear that lingers in the region. In November 2024, a shooting at a vacant-house party in National City killed a 12-year-old boy and wounded four others. The case remains a painful reference point for families and investigators, and it has intensified calls to prevent unauthorized gatherings before they escalate. Authorities say most parties do not reach that level, but they say packed homes, alcohol, and impulsive behavior can create unpredictable conditions in minutes.
Law enforcement officials say arrests and prosecutions can lag behind the quick police response seen on scene. Jimenez said identifying the person who planned a party can be hard when attendees claim they thought the inviter owned the home. Prosecutors have confirmed that two cases tied to last year’s vacant-house parties are being handled in court, including one involving a juvenile that cannot be discussed publicly. In another case, four men have been arrested and charged with burglary and vandalism, and those proceedings are continuing.
Agents say they are trying to close the time gap between online promotion and a crowd at the door. Munoz said she and others monitor the same online channels used to announce parties and quickly call listing agents when an address appears. She said that kind of rapid warning helped alert Vaca’s Realtor, and she said agents have continued passing alerts from one neighborhood to another. Vaca said that after his Otay Mesa scare, he and his Realtor joined the effort to warn others, creating what agents describe as a phone tree that can move faster than a formal bulletin.
The Spring Valley incident described by Realtor Karla Vidrio is one reason agents say the alerts matter. Vidrio said she arrived to find more than 30 people inside her listing and about 20 outside waiting to pay a $10 cover charge. She said she saw a firework thrown from the front door that exploded near people walking in. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed deputies responded quickly but no one was cited or arrested, an outcome Vidrio called frustrating. She said she wants accountability even when organizers cannot immediately be identified, arguing that people inside should know they are trespassing.
Police say they respond when 911 calls come in, and investigators say they are working to build cases using online postings, videos, and witness accounts. Agents say they expect the next stretch will test whether the warning network can consistently get to an address in time, and whether prosecutors can connect online advertising and cover-charge collections to specific people. Until then, homeowners and agents say each new listing comes with an added question: not only how fast it will sell, but whether it can stay secure long enough to close.
Author note: Last updated February 10, 2026.