Two men are facing criminal charges after deputies say they were caught throwing rocks at traffic signs and a passing vehicle, which they admitted was inspired by a popular social media “challenge.”
Caught in the act
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Deputies from Constable Mark Herman’s office responded to a 911 call on July 16 in the 60100 block of Sunnygate Drive.
A man said that the passengers of a passing vehicle were laughing and throwing pebbles at signs. When the automobile arrived at his home, one of the boulders impacted and damaged his windshield.
The victim followed the car and called 911. Deputies stopped the vehicle on the Hardy Toll Road and said they discovered a bag of rocks the suspects had brought with them.
Social media ‘challenge’ cited
The driver and passenger, Christopher Webb, 22, and Justin Pataki, 20, allegedly acknowledged to emulating an online craze in which people threw pebbles at stop signs and recorded others’ responses.
“They filled up the bag before they got in the car,” Assistant Chief Toby Hecker said at a press briefing Thursday. “We were able to show that they were the ones actually throwing the rocks and causing the damage.”
The two males were detained and charged with criminal mischief. Their bond and court date have not yet been determined.
Precinct 4 response: ‘This isn’t funny’
According to Constable Mark Herman’s office, these are serious cases.
“What appears to be a social media trend can quickly lead to criminal charges,” Herman said in a statement.
During the news conference, Ricky Muñoz of KPRC 2 questioned Hecker if law enforcement should be proactive in addressing online trends before they become criminal activities.
“It’s not law enforcement’s job to monitor social media—we need help from parents,” Hecker stated. “A lot of these challenges are being done by kids as young as 10 or 11… but in this case, it was two men in their 20s.”
Hecker noted that social media only exposes the first few seconds of what appears to be funny—not the long-term ramifications.
“They don’t show anyone getting wounded. “They don’t show someone going to jail,” he remarked.
No specific law for ‘inspired’ crimes
Although there is no law that punishes someone for just mimicking a trend, Hecker stated that suspects will always be charged for the actual damage or harm done.
“If a crime’s committed and you’ve filmed yourself doing it, that’s great for us,” Hecker told the audience. “It makes it easier to prosecute you and put you in jail.”
