Social media challenge gets 2 teens charged with burglary, Florida sheriff says

Two Florida teens are facing felony charges after they took part in a social media challenge that too closely resembled a burglary, according to investigators.

It happened Sunday, July 6, in DeBary, and the suspects are ages 13 and 15, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said in a July 7 news release.

“Two teens ... are facing a charge of felony burglary after they were caught on camera kicking in a neighbor’s front door until it broke open,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The so-called ‘door kicking challenge’ is a surefire way to get locked up with a felony … or even worse, shot and killed by a homeowner.”

The accused teens were arrested just before 9 the same night, video shows.

The 13-year-old girl was found hiding in her home’s attic, “after her mom gave deputies permission to search for her inside her house.”

“Mom was furious with her daughter after deputies told her what she had been up to,” the sheriff’s office said.

When questioned, the teens “told deputies they were ‘just being stupid,’” officials said.

Thrill-seeking teens have been participating in the challenge across the country, and law enforcement agencies say “it sounds like a home invasion” in progress.

The challenge “involves tweens-teens forcefully kicking the front doors of homes and businesses and running away, while their smartphones capture the deed,” according to Parents.com.

“Consequences include being charged with a misdemeanor for trespassing, destruction of property, or disturbing the peace,” the site reports. “Bodily injury is also a real risk.”

DeBary is about a 25-mile drive northeast from downtown Orlando.

This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Social media challenge gets 2 teens charged with burglary, Florida sheriff says."