SAN DIEGO — It's called 'ding-dong ditch,' except now people are dressing in all black, ringing doorbells, slamming on doors and making a run for it.
Doorbell ditch videos are circulating on TikTok.
A CBS 8 employee even fell victim to the prank. Ring camera video in Scripps Ranch shows someone dressed in all black and wearing a black ski mask ringing the doorbell, slamming on the door and running away.
Another picture on the Nextdoor app shows someone similarly dressed banging on doors, ringing doorbells and frightening neighbors in Rolando.
But the prank isn’t so innocent.
"You think you are doing something funny for TikTok and you can come across someone you didn’t expect, which can lead to consequences. It's not worth the prank. It's not that funny," said Lt. Adam Sharki with the San Diego Police Department.
At times, pranksters are shattering glass and breaking down doors. It can even turn deadly.
Last year, three teenaged boys were killed after a ding-dong ditch prank: One teen rang the doorbell, ran, then jumped into a car with friends. The homeowner chased them down in his car, forcing them into a crash that killed all three boys. The homeowner was convicted of murder charges and is serving a life sentence in prison.
"I think everybody grew up playing the doorbell ditch kind of game, but going around wearing a ski mask and dressed in black is a recipe for disaster. You never know who’s door you are knocking on, and you can face unexpected consequences," said Lt. Sharki.
Now, San Diego Police are stressing the potential consequences pranksters could face the next time they ding-dong ditch.
"If you break down someone’s door, you could be looking at all sorts of charges: breaking and entering, vandalism, and more. You don’t know whose door you are knocking on, and if someone is wearing a ski mask at night knocking on someone's door, ringing their doorbell, it's a recipe for disaster," said Lt. Sharki. "Don't do it. Make better choices."
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