SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Residents across 4S Ranch got a scare with late night, loud noises at their front door.
Just after midnight Saturday, off Rancho Bernardo Road, Deba Nayak and his wife were in their bedroom, when they were startled by their doorbell, and a loud banging at their front door.
“One, maybe two, but I heard one big one. That's what shook me when I was upstairs,” said Nayak.
His cameras caught images of teens shielding their faces.
About eight minutes later, they were back, and once again, rang the doorbell with at least one taking off on an eBike.
“They are prepared. They know they want to escape very fast,” said Nayak.
Around the same time and just a few blocks way, Tom, his wife, and two kids, a toddler and an infant, were inside their home when this happened.
“Suddenly we hear the bell ringing, followed by some really loud banging noises, like someone was trying to kick the door down,” said Nayak.
Upset and hoping to track down their parents, Tom got in his car and went looking for the teens, eventually finding them with an eBike, near a park.
“They see me in my car, and they drop the eBike and scatter in three different directions,” said Tom, who asked us not to use his real name.
Hours later, Tom says his home was hit again.
“Two deputies came. They said they’ve had complaints about this all night long,” said Tom.
It appears dozens of homes were targeted, across several neighborhoods.
The use of eBikes are causing headaches in Carlsbad, with reports of eBikers taking part in a TikTok 'door kick' challenge, resulting in damaged front doors.
Back in 4S Ranch, frustrations continue to mount.
“Its not a joke at that time of night. Doorbell ditching versus punching and kicking are two very separate things,” said Tom.
Local law enforcement warn these incidents could be dangerous, because the banging sounds could sound like a break-in attempt.
ABC 10News reached out to the Sheriff's Department for a comment and are waiting to hear back.
