Two local teens caught on camera kicking a residential door, participating in a social media trend called the “Door Kick Challenge,” were taken into custody on felony vandalism charges following an investigation, according to a Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station spokesperson and social media post.
Detectives with the Juveniles and Gangs Team, also known as JAG, identified and detained two local 15-year-old teens in connection with the incident, which was caught on camera at a Valencia home, the post published on the SCV Sheriff’s Station Instagram on Tuesday stated.
According to Shirley Miller, a spokeswoman with the station, community members assisted with the identification of the two teens involved, after the clip of them circulated in the Nextdoor app, a private social network for local communities.
“The incident occurred in Valencia and involved a social media trend where participants record themselves kicking or attempting to kick in the front doors of homes before running away and posting the videos online,” the SCV Sheriff’s Station post read. “Both juveniles are facing felony vandalism charges.”
In the post, officials also stated that the trend isn’t a “harmless prank.” It can cause significant property damage and “quickly escalate into a dangerous situation because the homeowner has no way of knowing whether someone is attempting to break in,” it stated.
“Social media trends move on. Criminal charges don’t. Make smart choices,” the post added.
