PHOENIX — An Arizona teen was arrested on suspicion of kicking in the door of a Phoenix home and causing an estimated $10,000 in damage, an incident that police linked to a viral "door kick challenge."
News reports show police in various U.S. cities have been warning about the social media challenge in which people kick or pound on front doors, often late at night while homeowners are asleep.
Phoenix police went to a home near 44th Street and Thunderbird Road at about 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 12 for a criminal damage report, according to Sgt. Sheree Lee, a department spokesperson.
Footage of the incident, captured by the homeowner's Ring camera, shows two teens arriving in a red Ford truck and approaching the front door, according to Lee.
One teen, identified by police as a 14-year-old male, was seen in the footage kicking the front door as the other teen watched behind him. The kick caused an estimated $10,000 in damage before the pair fled to the truck, Lee stated.
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Detectives discovered the truck used during the incident was reported stolen out of Scottsdale, according to Lee. Later, detectives also uncovered additional evidence linking the teen to another vehicle that was stolen the same day.
According to Lee, officers were able to identify the 14-year-old through the help of a Silent Witness tip, and officers took the teen into custody Sept. 23.
He was booked into the Durango Juvenile Detention Facility in Phoenix on suspicion of one count of criminal damage and one count of unlawful use of transportation, according to Lee.
The other suspect has yet to be identified, but Lee urged the public that if they have information about the other suspect or other incidents associated with the challenge to contact Phoenix police at 602-262-6151 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377), 480-TESTIGO (480-837-8446) for Spanish or silentwitness.org.
