Doorbell Ditching Teens Found Carrying Drugs And Guns In San Mateo County

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Police said they received a call that teens were going door to door ringing doorbells and when officers contacted them they found Xanax and a loaded gun, police announced Friday.

Over the weekend, South San Francisco Police Department officers said they received the report of the teens ringing doorbells on Dolores Way.

Officers said they responded and found one 15-year-old boy with a loaded 9mm handgun in his waistband and carrying Xanax pills. Police said they also found a 16-year-old who was already on probation.

"Illegal firearms in the hands of youth are a dangerous combination. Sometimes these cases end with releases to guardians and alternative consequences. Unfortunately, in this case, one of the juveniles required booking into San Mateo County Juvenile Hall due to the seriousness of the situation," police said.

Ding-Dong-Ditch Turns Deadly

The prank may be as old as the doorbell itself, but, in recent years, several deaths have been tied to ding-dong-ditch.

According to CNN, in July in Texas, a man fired shots into a fleeing car after someone banged on his door. In May, a Virginia teen was shot and killed filming a “ding dong ditch” for TikTok, The New York Times reported. And in 2020, three 16-year-olds were killed when a man rammed his car into theirs vehicle following the prank, CNN reported.

Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.