Staten Island homeowner believes vandals inspired by 'Kool-Aid Challenge' smashed through his fence
The homeowner thinks the Kool-Aid man commercial may have been inspired the crime
ELTINGVILLE, Staten Island (WABC) -- A dangerous and expensive crime was caught on camera on Staten Island of a group of people, believed to be teenagers, intentionally ramming through a fence while another person filmed.
You probably know the commercial of the Kool-Aid man bursting through walls and fences, but could the purveyor of sugary drinks possibly be the inspiration behind these crimes posted on social media?
That's what 23-year-old Ben Helwa thinks as police look for those responsible for busting through his PVC fence in the Eltingville section of Staten Island two weekends ago.
"I thought it was hilarious, like breaking the wall, big glass jar," Helwa said. "You know, as a kid, I thought it was hilarious, but I never thought, you know, kids would take that advertisement and blow it up into something where they're just destroying things."
You can see in the middle of the night surveillance video, four people waiting across the street from Helwa's house on Gurley Avenue, then, while filming, three run full speed towards his fence and seemingly crash straight through, then they all run away.
"We came out here and both of our fences and their big fences, they were just popped out completely like all of it was popped out and it was basically like an open house, like anyone's welcome then, you know, it's not safe for anyone," Helwa said.
So, Helwa and his brother have done a temporary fix until he can get a professional in -- which he expects to cost thousands of dollars.
This isn't the first time though this has been reported on Staten Island, employees at the Sunrise Assisted Living facility in New Dorp say vandals crashed through their fencing last fall.
Back in 2023 on Long Island, police there warned about a group pulling the same "Kool-Aid man" stunt on a fence in East Northport.
Helwa hopes it ends here.
"I just want the Staten Island community to be safe," he said. "I just don't want it to be like one of those neighborhoods where, you know, it goes like to a point where like, everyone just, like, vandalizing."
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