Viral door-kicking social media trend leads to felony property damage in Phoenix
Teens wanted for door-kicking prank causing major damage across Phoenix
Authorities warn that overnight doorbell pranks around Phoenix could lead to dangerous encounters between homeowners and teens. FOX 10's Ty Brennan learns more about the social media trend that comes with a warning.
PHOENIX - Phoenix Police Detective Mike Fischer details a criminal damage case involving juveniles damaging homes in East and North Phoenix.
What we know:
The incidents stem from a trend that began years ago as a social media challenge known as "ding dong ditch," where juveniles rang doorbells and ran away. However, officials warn the trend has escalated into serious criminal activity across the metro Phoenix area.
Groups are traveling around neighborhoods, recording each other while taking turns kicking front doors. Some doors are kicked with enough force to shatter glass and break the door frame, resulting in expensive repairs.
Why you should care:
The incidents typically occur late at night, usually after midnight or around 3 a.m., while residents are asleep.
"You're at home asleep and you hear all this noise, and then a lot of people armed nowadays. And that's what we want to, hopefully the parents will talk to their kids about these incidents, these pranks, and these kids also, hopefully, they think about what could happen, because if somebody is armed, a homeowner is going to think that it's a home invasion and somebody is trying to break into their house," Fischer said.
Officials expressed concern that startled homeowners waking up at 3 a.m. might grab guns or knives to defend their homes against a perceived home invasion, leading to potentially fatal encounters.
The Cost of a Trend:
Fischer emphasized that depending on repair costs, the charge escalates to felony criminal damage, which can follow juveniles on background checks for future employment or school applications.
"It's a crime and it's criminal damage. The charge is a criminal damage. And in some cases, it's going to be a felony criminal damage. So we're just hoping that someone that's doing this or knows about someone doing this, especially in that area," Fischer said.
Do You Know Anything?:
Specific incidents occurred on July 4 and July 5 in the area of 62nd Street and Thunderbird Road in North Phoenix, though similar acts are occurring throughout the region. Witnesses described the suspects as two young kids between the ages of 15 and 18. The suspects recorded their actions and posted the video footage to Facebook and X.
Dig deeper:
Doorbell cameras frequently capture these acts, aiding law enforcement in identifying suspects.
"We just don't want the encounter between the homeowner and these kids out there where something worse can happen," Fischer said.
What you can do:
Anyone with information regarding these cases is urged to contact Silent Witness at 480-948-6377.
Map of the area where the crime occurred.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Phoenix Police Detective Mike Fischer.