A Hooksett resident called police following a birthday surprise that looked like three people were threatening him, rather than a visit from an escort service.

Hooksett and state police responded to Mount St. Mary’s Apartments on Wednesday, Nov. 15, around 1:15 p.m., just a few minutes after a call came in from Jerrell Luther reporting two women followed him to his apartment from the lobby and started banging on his door.

When police arrived at the complex at 1701 Hooksett Road, they pulled over three individuals in a rental car. They searched the building to make sure the people in the car were the suspects.

After an investigation, it was determined that the three suspects were escorts ordered through Paradise Personal Massage, based in New York, and were a belated birthday present.

Luther’s friends had placed an order online for the escorts to arrive at his apartment, but Luther arrived home earlier than expected.

Hooksett police detective Nick Pinardi said they were able to verify that the three had come from an escort service from business cards they possessed and by contacting the dispatch service, even though the suspects were elusive about their business at the complex.

“Being in their business, they don’t want to tell you what they’re doing,” Pinardi said.

Pinardi said Luther looked through his peephole and saw one of the individuals reaching for something in his waistband, leading him to believe the man was reaching for a gun.

The three people had no weapons and posed no threat, and no charges were filed even though they were not upfront with the police.

“Unless they’ve made a sworn statement, we can’t really charge them with being liars,” said Pinardi.

Some confusion resulted when a trace on the call to the escort service revealed that the call had come from Luther’s apartment. It was determined Luther indeed was not aware of the escort visit, and that friends who ordered the escorts had stayed at the apartment before they left for Florida, Pinardi said.

“He just panicked and ruined his birthday present,” he said.