A startling online trend is making a resurgence among teenagers who could face deadly consequences as they terrorize homeowners in a viral prank, police around the country warn.
Home surveillance footage shows a group of masked California youngsters partaking in the “Door Kick Challenge,” where pranksters run up to a stranger’s home and kick the front door as hard as they can before rushing away, according to the Elk Grove Police Department.
The community of Elk Grove – located roughly 15 miles from Sacramento – has seen at least eight reported incidents and five arrests over the past month, CBS News Sacramento reported.
Last week, two 13-year-olds were arrested after allegedly causing more than $680 in damage to a homeowner’s front door, according to authorities. Additionally, three juveniles were taken into custody earlier this month for their alleged involvement in the prank.
Another incident left a homeowner with $900 worth of damage to their doorframe, the outlet reported. Any crime exceeding $950 in damages could reportedly result in felony charges, with parents on the hook for paying the cost of their child’s actions.
“Somebody could come out with a gun, and you could never know, these kids could be dead just for a stupid prank,” Ronnie Monroe told 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.”
