San Diego County sheriff's officials are warning East County residents after deputies responded to two illegal house parties on Tuesday, July 21, including one at an abandoned property in an unincorporated area of El Cajon.

The Sheriff's Office said deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station first responded around 9 p.m. to a home in the 11700 block of Calle Albara in an unincorporated area of La Mesa. Deputies saw a large group leaving the property, but the home was empty when they arrived and deputies could not talk to anyone.

Just after 10 p.m., deputies from the Lakeside Sheriff's Substation responded to a second illegal party in the 1600 block of Broadway in an unincorporated area of El Cajon. The Sheriff's Office said deputies had received information that the party was being advertised on social media and that the second gathering appeared related to the earlier one.

Deputies found about 30 people inside an abandoned property that was fenced off and posted with no-trespassing signs. When people initially failed to disperse, deputies requested help from a Sheriff's ASTREA helicopter and the El Cajon Police Department. In all, about 40 people were detained and released after the property was cleared. A 14-year-old from Vista was released to his parents, and no arrests were made.

For Santee residents, the warning lands during the heart of summer, when late-night parties and trespassing calls can become neighborhood safety concerns quickly. The Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services in Santee and nearby unincorporated East County communities, so residents who see an unsafe or disruptive gathering should use official reporting channels rather than trying to handle it themselves.

The Sheriff's Office posted the release through its Media Relations Bureau. Santee Pulse will update this story if the agency releases additional confirmed details.