Phoenix police arrest 14-year-old in suspected ‘door kick challenge’ case

Phoenix police arrested a 14-year-old boy accused of kicking in the front doors of a home and causing an estimated $10,000 in damage in an incident investigators believe is linked to a social media trend.

Officers responded to a criminal damage report near 44th Street and Thunderbird Road about 6:30 a.m. Sept. 12, police said in a statement Thursday.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by KTAR News 92.3 (@ktarnews)

Two juveniles arrived in a red Ford truck, kicked in the home’s front doors and fled, police said. Investigators later identified the 14-year-old as the person who kicked in the door.

Police did not identify the boy or announce whether the second juvenile had been arrested.

Detectives determined the truck had been reported stolen in Scottsdale and found additional evidence linking the boy to another stolen vehicle, police said.

Officers arrested him Sept. 13 and booked him into the Durango Juvenile Detention Facility on one count each of criminal damage and unlawful use of transportation.

Investigators believe the incident is connected to the “door kick challenge,” in which participants kick or bang on doors before running away, sometimes recording the encounters to post on social media.

Related

AZ Department of Education receives $5M federal grant to train special education teachersWoman hospitalized, 2 in custody after gun sale leads to shooting outside Mesa Bass Pro ShopsAZ Political Podcast: Adrian Fontes warns Kolodin win hands ‘keys of the kingdom to the weirdos’Election-year backlash clogs Scottsdale’s water recycling planBorder wall crews damaged ancient Arizona geoglyph now dated to 6,500 yearsSAFE Alert issued for missing 76-year-old Phoenix woman