A recent TikTok trend, dubbed the "Door Kick Challenge," has resulted in over $2,000 in damage to a home in San Diego's Ocean Beach neighborhood. The incident occurred Friday night when a hooded individual repeatedly kicked the front door of a residence on Newport Avenue.
The homeowner, Tracy Van De Walker, reported that her husband heard loud pounding shortly after 10 p.m. Surveillance footage captured the perpetrator approaching the door, lifting their leg, and delivering multiple kicks before fleeing. The impact caused the door frame to break, with plaster crumbling around the entrance.
Van De Walker expressed concern over the security compromise and estimated the repair costs to exceed $2,000. "When somebody compromises the security of your house, it’s very disturbing and alarming," she told ABC 10. "I’m already thinking over $2,000 in damage."
This prank is an aggressive variation of the classic "ding-dong-ditch" game and has been circulating on TikTok and other social media platforms since at least 2023. Previous incidents have involved similar door-kicking stunts and even using e-bikes to ram doors. In 2024, another instance in Coronado involved setting off fireworks before ringing a doorbell. Last October, a vandal was caught on camera kicking in a door in Lemon Grove while another person filmed the act.
