Public safety report: Police warn against participating in ‘ding-dong-ditch’ TikTok challenge

Police responded to reports of a breaking and entering incident in progress on Chester Lane at 9:12 p.m. on Sept. 20. 

When they arrived, officers discovered that the cause of the disturbance was a group of four to five teenagers participating in a ‘ding-dong-ditch’ prank escalated through a TikTok challenge by the same name, involving kicking and hitting someone’s door and then running away when they come to investigate.

According to the Chester Lane homeowner, the teens fled the area before police arrived. Police were unable to locate them, and closed the investigation after determining no damage had been done to the door.

A police spokesperson said this TikTok challenge has become popular nationwide, and warned that it may be dangerous for participants, as the challenge has been linked to two cases in Virginia and Texas where residents of homes targeted by the prank shot and killed a high school senior and an 11-year-old boy, respectively.

Additional public safety actions

Between 7 p.m. on Sept. 18 and 6:59 a.m. on Sept. 24, not counting check-ins from patrol cars, the most common categories of all incidents recorded in the police’s public blotter were routine follow-ups on alarms or 911 calls where the caller hung up, at approximately 18% of all items; traffic incidents, at 16% of items; and medical issues or police assistance calls, both at 10%.

A summary of public safety activity from Sept. 18 to Sept. 24 is as follows:

On Sept. 18 at 8:10 p.m., firefighters responded to and cleaned up a gasoline spill after the liquid had been mistakenly poured down a drain on Main Street.

On Sept. 19 at 2:02 a.m., a police officer observed a woman walking northward along Lexington Street in the area of the police station. The officer described her as yelling to herself, and noted that she was barefoot and appeared to be walking unsteadily. They approached and conversed with her, and determined that she appeared intoxicated. After the officer was unable to identify someone who would be able to take care of her, they put her into protective custody.

At 9:29 p.m., police responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident in a parking lot at the Moody Street 7-Eleven. A motor vehicle appeared to have backed into a parked car and left the area. Because the accident only caused minor damage and police were unable to locate the vehicle, the case is now closed.

At 10:28 p.m. police arrested a Chelmsford man on a warrant originating from Lowell District Court for operating a motor vehicle after his license was suspended.

On Sept. 20 at 10:12 a.m. police responded to a report of shoplifting at the CVS on Linden Street. According to video surveillance of the incident, an older and a younger woman entered the store, put items in their bags, and then left the store, driving away in a gray SUV. The store reports they left with a total of 76 beauty items collectively valued at $800. This is an active investigation.

At 11:04 a.m. police responded in a peacekeeping capacity to a domestic dispute on Banford Way.

At 3:50 p.m. police visited a house on Crescent Street to investigate a report of online larceny. The victim reported an unauthorized transaction on their CashApp account for $300 after their identity appeared to have been compromised sometime in August. Police filed a report which the victim submitted to CashApp, and the investigation is now closed.

At 7:38 p.m. police responded to a report of shoplifting at a store on Moody Street. According to the store owner, a man attempted to purchase vape cartridges and cigarettes collectively worth $83 using a debit card which was declined. While the owner was responding to another customer, the man put the items in his backpack and left. Police have closed the investigation because the store owner did not wish to pursue the matter.

At 8:50 p.m., police responded to a report of trespassing on the site of the former Fernald State School. A group was witnessed jumping over the fence on the Waverly Oaks Road side of the property. Officers notified the site’s private security, but were unable to locate anyone involved.

On Sept. 21 at 9:43 a.m. police responded in a peacekeeping capacity to a domestic dispute on Brewster Road.

At 10:44 p.m. police responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident on Lyman Street and Summer Street. When they arrived, they found two parked vehicles beside the road that appeared to have been hit by a speeding car no longer present on the scene. A witness described the license plate of the car involved in the accident, which traced back to a white Honda Civic whose owner lived out of town. Officers were able to locate and reach out to the car’s owner the next day, who said they were involved in an accident with a parked vehicle while distracted and had been afraid to report it. The owner received a summons to court for negligent operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, and a marked traffic lane violation.

On Sept. 22, at 8:20 p.m., a resident on Common Street arrived home to find a woman sitting on their living room couch. When police arrived, they determined that the person appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and transported her to the hospital. The woman was not arrested, but the officer who responded to the scene will be seeking a charge for trespassing and for breaking and entering to commit trespassing.

At 9:42 p.m. firefighters responded to a call about a fire pit on Greer Street. Fire pits are only allowed in Waltham for cooking purposes, and are subject to safety regulation; open burning is not permitted. The fire pit was extinguished prior to the fire engine’s arrival.

On Sept. 23, at 5:21 a.m., firefighters responded to a call about a fire at Panela de Barro restaurant on Newton Street. Firefighters located an arcing wire and requested energy company Eversource come in to fix the electrical wiring. The police department assisted in temporarily blocking off traffic until Eversource workers arrived on site to handle the matter.

At 3:45 p.m., police responded to a call at 207 Main St. reporting a potential cryptocurrency scam being conducted over the app Telegram. This incident is still under investigation.

At 3:55 p.m., police received a call about an animal left inside of a motor vehicle in weather over 70 degrees. Upon further investigation, the animal turned out to be a skunk, which an animal control officer removed from the vehicle.

At 6:05 p.m., police responded to a report of a lost wallet at BJ’s Wholesale on Seyon Street. The wallet’s owner returned and located it, but the wallet was missing approximately $500. Surveillance video at the store showed an individual picking up the wallet, but it was unclear if they took anything out. The incident is still under investigation.

At 6:39 p.m., police arrested a Billerica man working as a security guard. According to the police report, the man approached two friends who were fighting nearby and asked them to leave. From there, the parties got into a verbal altercation that escalated into physical violence, and the man kicked one of the parties while wearing work boots. He was arrested for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

On Sept. 24 at 2:21 p.m., police arrested a Cambridge man leaving the area of the former Fernald State School. The man, who was carrying copper items that the officers believed originated from one of the former school buildings, was arrested for trespassing, larceny from a building, and possession of burglarious instruments.

All information was obtained from spokespeople with the Waltham Police and Fire Departments and the publicly available police blotter.