‘Kool-Aid Man Challenge' hits NYC homes, leaving pricey repair bills

A Staten Island homeowner was stuck with a hefty repair bill after a group of vandals smashed through his fence, possibly as part of an online trend.

Video of the incident showed a group of people  — believed to be teenagers — ramming their way through Ben Helwa’s fence at his home in the Eltingville neighborhood in early April.

"There was a flashlight with a camera, so I believe they were recording a video," said Helwa.

The homeowner said the vandalism may have stemmed from an internet trend that has become known as the Kool-Aid Man challenge, inspired by the classic commercials dating back to the 80s. In the TV ads, the Kool-Aid man would bust through walls as he said "Oh yea!" and promoted the popular powdered drink mix.

Now teens are imitating the sugary mascot for likes and views on social media, according to police.

A group of vandals also ran though a fence in nearby Prince Bay early Monday morning. While it was not immediately clear whether it was the same group responsible, police said it was the third reported incident in recent months.

Long Island experienced a similar problem in 2023. It got so out of hand, Suffolk County Crime Stoppers released video to track down leads. A retired New York City correction officer was one of the targets of the prank at that time.

At least five separate incidents were reported to Suffolk County police in a two-month span at the time. Cops made some arrests in connection to the incidents.

The trend appears to have picked back up, this time on Staten Island, leaving victims like Helwa to pick up the damage and a costly repair tab, all in the name of laughs or online clout.

"I didn’t find it so funny waking up finding out I have big cost ahead to repair my fence," said Helwa.