MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Macomb County Sheriff's Office is warning parents and homeowners about a dangerous social media trend in which teens run up to homes late at night and kick garage doors hard enough to cause serious damage.
Investigators are looking into at least six similar incidents across the county.
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One homeowner, who asked not to be identified out of fear for her safety, said she reviewed her camera footage after seeing damage on her garage door.
"I viewed the camera and I saw a young teenager just run over my property and just slam and kicked my garage door with a huge dent in there," she said.
She said her home has been hit twice.
"It sucks that kids are doing this. I would hate to pay for a damage someone else did," she said.
Cmdr. Jason Abro of the Macomb County Sheriff's Office believes the trend is being fueled by social media.
"Through TikTok, I believe, where juveniles, whether they refer to it as a 'door-kick challenge' or a 'door-knock challenge,' and what we're seeing is this behavior in juveniles, it looks to be a prank on social media," Abro said.
Abro said the incidents are not harmless fun.
"When you look at it, the homeowner doesn't know whether it's vandalism or somebody attempting to break in," Abro said.
Some residents say the incidents have left them on edge. Maria Harmon, who lives in the West Minster II subdivision, said she recently bought a new camera and security system.
"It's concerning to have someone just come and destroy your property," Harmon said. "Just because there's no leads to who these kids are and what is the cause behind damaging the garage doors."
Vince Damore, another area resident, noted the neighborhood's makeup.
"I mean, there's a lot of kids here, busy street," Damore said.
Abro issued a direct warning to the teens responsible.
"So, what we're going to do on this is that No. 1, our priority is protecting the community and we will hold you accountable and we will prevent incidents like this from occurring and escalating into tragedy," Abro said. "But we also want parents to be aware what their kids are doing online and offline."
The sheriff's office is asking anyone with information about these incidents to contact them. Investigators are also urging homeowners not to confront the teens but to call 911 immediately if it happens again.
"We want this to stop. We don't want this to continue," Abro said.
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