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An alarming online trend is resurfacing among teenagers, posing potentially lethal risks as they engage in a viral prank that frightens homeowners, law enforcement agencies across the nation caution.
Recently captured home security videos reveal a group of masked teens in California participating in the “Door Kick Challenge.” This prank involves sprinting to a stranger’s residence, forcefully kicking the front door, and quickly fleeing, as explained by the Elk Grove Police Department.
Elk Grove, situated approximately 15 miles from Sacramento, has experienced at least eight such incidents and five arrests within the past month, as reported by CBS News Sacramento. Read more.
Authorities detained two 13-year-olds last week, accused of inflicting over $680 worth of damage to a homeowner’s front door. Furthermore, earlier this month, three other juveniles were apprehended for allegedly participating in the stunt.
In another case, a homeowner suffered $900 in damage to their doorframe. According to reports, any crime resulting in damages exceeding $950 could lead to felony charges, with parents potentially liable for their children’s misconduct.
“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.”
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.