HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Two men are facing criminal charges after deputies say they were caught throwing rocks at street signs and a passing vehicle—actions they admitted were inspired by a trending social media “challenge.”
Caught in the act
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Deputies with Constable Mark Herman’s Office responded to a 911 call on July 16 in the 60100 block of Sunnygate Drive.
A man reported that occupants of a passing car were laughing and throwing rocks at signs. When the car reached his home, one of the rocks struck and cracked his windshield.
The victim followed the car while calling 911. Deputies intercepted the vehicle on the Hardy Toll Road, where they say they found a bag of rocks the suspects had brought with them.
Social media ‘challenge’ cited
The driver and passenger—identified as Christopher Webb, 22, and Justin Pataki, 20—allegedly admitted they were imitating a trend they saw online involving people throwing rocks at stop signs and capturing others’ reactions.
“They filled up the bag before they got in the car,” said Assistant Chief Toby Hecker during a press conference Thursday. “We were able to show that they were the ones actually throwing the rocks and causing the damage.”
Both men were arrested and charged with criminal mischief. Their bond and court information have not yet been set.
Precinct 4 response: ‘This isn’t funny’
Constable Mark Herman’s office says these types of cases are no joke.
“What may seem like a social media trend can quickly turn into criminal charges,” Herman said in a statement.
During the press conference, KPRC 2’s Ricky Muñoz asked Hecker whether law enforcement should be doing more to get ahead of online trends before they escalate into criminal acts.
“It’s not law enforcement’s job to monitor social media—we need help from parents,” Hecker said. “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 added that social media only shows the first few seconds of what might look funny—but not the long-term consequences.
“They don’t show someone getting hurt. They don’t show someone ending up in jail,” he said.
No specific law for ‘inspired’ crimes
Although there’s no law that penalizes someone simply for imitating a trend, Hecker said suspects will always be charged for the actual damage or harm caused.
“If a crime’s committed and you’ve filmed yourself doing it, that’s great for us,” Hecker said. “It makes it easier to prosecute you and put you in jail.”
Precinct pushing online safety awareness
Hecker says Precinct 4 regularly shares updates with parents on how to talk to kids about risky online behavior. The department encourages families to follow its official Facebook page for safety tips and trend alerts.
