Two Natick teens smirked as they described what they said was a “prank” and “social experiment” when they wore dark clothing and masks to scare a woman on South Street on Friday night, authorities said.

Before arresting Chandler Ortiz, 18, and a 17-year-old boy at 10:13 p.m, Natick Police to “educate both on how dangerous their prank was,” according to Officer Michael Mabardy’s police report filed in Natick District Court on Monday.

On Friday, a man flagged down police and said there was a “woman in distress” on Main Street near the town common. Officers found the crying woman, whom they described as “hysterical and panicked."

The woman, who works as a cleaner at Mutual One Bank, said she was leaving from the rear of the bank to take trash to a dumpster when two young men confronted her.

“Once outside, she observed two parties wearing all black, with white masks on,” Mabardy wrote. “As the two parties walked towards her, she dropped the trash and stated, ‘Don’t come any closer.’ One of the men lunged at her, and the female took off running. She stated to Sgt. (Chad) Howard that in this day and age, she did not know what their intent was, but feared robbery, assault and battery or worse.”

Officers searched for the teens and found them walking on Cochituate Street. Both had their hoods pulled up and one had his mask on.

“They stated they were ‘just playing a prank,’” Mabardy wrote. “They described it as a ‘social experiment.’ They stated they just wanted to scare the female.”

When told the woman often carried a gun and was in fear for her life, they said they did not think about the prank’s repercussions, Mabardy wrote.

“I informed Sgt. Howard that due to the parties’ lack of remorse, smiling as they explained the prank … I would like to arrest both parties for disorderly conduct,” Mabardy wrote.

Police arrested Ortiz, of 17 Union St., and his companion and charged them with disorderly conduct.

At Ortiz’s Natick District Court arraignment on Monday, Judge Jennifer Stark released him without bail. He is due back in court on Sept. 20 for a pretrial conference. The teen was scheduled to be arraigned in Framingham Juvenile Court, whose proceedings are not open to the public.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date crime news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.