Kid pranks have evolved since the days of giggling calls asking "Is your refrigerator running?" and now a Sheriff's Office is warning parents about a dangerous viral social media trend where teenagers are kicking in doors and scaring people inside.
Called the "door kick challenge" on Tik Tok, it involves teens running up to a home, kicking the front door loudly, and running off, usually while recording the incident for social media.
Homeowner Argenis Ruiz said it was frightening when her house was targeted in the DeBary neighborhood of Florida. "It was super super loud. [I was] clueless," she said. "I was just asleep and I woke up startled and scared and just wanted to get my kid out of the way." Ruiz immediately checked her doorbell cam where she saw video of two teenagers - one wearing a mask - creeping up and then kicking the door before running away.
Two hours later, police caught a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy and arrested them for the incident about a half mile away from the home.
Florida's Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood emphasized the seriousness of the situation, saying, "That's a good way to end up dead, especially in Florida."
Chitwood urged parents to discuss the dangerous consequences of trying to mimic this so-called challenge with their children. "You got to think you're about to become a victim of a home invasion robbery, and you're under a castle doctrine. You're going to shoot first and ask questions later," Chitwood told local media. "You're endangering your future with this TikTok challenge. You know, you're going to be charged with a felony."