PHOENIX — Phoenix Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy accused of kicking in the front doors of a North Phoenix home, causing an estimated $10,000 in damage in what investigators believe was connected to a social media trend known as the “door kick challenge.”
The incident was caught on the home's doorbell camera.
Video shows two juveniles arriving in a red Ford truck before one runs toward the home and kicks in the double front doors.
Brooke, who was inside the home at the time and asked ABC15 not to show her face, remembers hearing the impact.
“There was just a very loud bang noise,” Brooke said. “I walked out of my room... and then I just—I see the doors just wide open, and I was pretty confused, pretty freaked out.”
The incident happened shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 12 at a home in North Phoenix.
Phoenix Police said investigators identified the person accused of kicking in the doors as a 14-year-old boy. He was taken into custody Sept. 23 and booked into the Durango Juvenile Detention Facility on one count of criminal damage and one count of unlawful use of transportation.
Police said the red Ford truck seen in the video had been reported stolen out of Scottsdale, though investigators have not linked the 14-year-old to the theft of that vehicle. Detectives said they uncovered separate evidence connecting him to another stolen vehicle.
Investigators believe the incident is connected to the “door kick challenge,” a social media trend in which people record themselves kicking or banging on the doors of homes before running away.
ABC15 has previously reported on similar incidents in the Valley.
Phoenix Police Sgt. Sheree Lee warned that what some participants may consider a prank can carry real criminal consequences.
“You're breaking the law,” Sgt. Lee said. “It's not just criminal damage, like in this case, but they could be getting disorderly conduct, they're trespassing on people's property.”
For Kathy, the homeowner, the concern goes beyond the thousands of dollars in damage.
“You could be standing on the other side of that door. Could have killed a child, an elderly adult, anybody,” Kathy said.
The family has since replaced the damaged entry with stronger steel doors and added additional security.
Brooke hopes what happened at the home serves as a warning to other young people who may see similar videos online.
“Don't copy everything you see online,” she said. “It could have been a lot worse for them.”
Phoenix Police said they are not seeking to arrest or press charges against the second juvenile seen in the footage. Sgt. Lee told ABC15 that investigators have not identified that person and said the second juvenile was not the one who physically damaged the doors.
Police said they are also investigating two other door-kicking cases and are asking anyone who recognizes the people involved in those incidents to contact Silent Witness.
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