A concerning online challenge is resurfacing among teenagers, posing potentially deadly risks as they disturb homeowners in a viral prank, law enforcement officials nationwide caution.
According to the Elk Grove Police Department, video from home security systems captures masked teens in California engaging in what is known as the “Door Kick Challenge.” In this prank, participants sprint to a stranger’s house and forcefully kick the front door before making a quick escape.
In Elk Grove, a community located about 15 miles from Sacramento, there have been at least eight incidents reported, leading to five arrests in the past month, as per CBS News Sacramento.
Authorities state that last week, two 13-year-olds were detained after allegedly inflicting over $680 worth of damage to a resident’s front door. Earlier this month, three other minors were also taken into custody for their suspected participation in the prank.
An additional case resulted in $900 worth of damage to another homeowner’s doorframe, according to the news outlet. It is reported that any damage surpassing $950 could lead to felony charges, with parents possibly being required to compensate for their child’s misconduct.
“Someone might come out with a gun, and you never know, these kids could be dead over a foolish prank,” Ronnie Monroe expressed to CBS13.
Monroe reportedly had his garage door kicked in by pranksters in two separate incidents in September, with both pranks taking place in the early morning hours.
“You can’t catch them if you can’t see them,” Monroe told the outlet. “They get on electric bikes, and they are gone.”
The Elk Grove Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The trend has been popping up in various cities around the country as it regains traction among teens.
On July 22, a Florida teenager was caught on camera kicking the front door of a Belleville home, FOX35 reported. The incident resulted in roughly $500 worth of damage to the homeowner’s doorframe, which was reportedly split down the middle.
One week earlier, homeowner Kevin Jasper reported being targeted by a lone teenager partaking in the prank, according to FOX35.
“We heard a big bang on the front door,” Jasper told the outlet. “We didn’t know what it was. We were like, ‘What the heck is going on, is somebody trying to break in?’”
Additionally, two teenagers in Volusia County were arrested and charged with felonies after they were caught on camera kicking a neighbor’s door.
Another incident earlier this year involved five juveniles allegedly kicking the front door of a Florida home before firing an Airsoft gun and fleeing the area, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
While teens may believe the prank is harmless, authorities are warning their actions come with grave risks.
“Imagine being in your home at 2 in the morning, and you are getting these kicking sounds,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood told FOX35. “And in Florida, under the ‘stand your ground’ [law] you are coming out with your gun. Somebody is going to get killed – this isn’t funny.”
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
