Youths Vandalise Car in Plovdiv, Pose for Selfies Afterwards

Young people smashed a car in centre of Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv and then posed for photos with it. The incident was captured by a security camera on a neighbouring building, and the car’s owner suspects it may have been part of a new social media challenge.

The event occurred during the night of 5 September. The car’s owner discovered the vehicle the following morning and was shocked when he saw what two boys were doing on the security footage.

“Before they found the car, they were saying ‘It’s not this one,’ and then they discover the car. They start taking selfies, climb on top, jump onto the bonnet. They do it like in ‘Titanic’ – one raises his arms, the other takes a selfie from below,” said Valentin Dimitrov, the car’s owner.

Dimitrov handed the footage to the Second Police District. Authorities confirmed that an investigation is underway. According to initial information, the boys recorded on the video have no prior criminal record.

“They didn’t get inside the car, I checked – they didn’t. And you can see from the video that they didn’t,” added Dimitrov.

The victim cannot understand why they took selfies after the act, except perhaps for social media purposes. He urged young people:

“Don’t let TikTok influence you to do whatever you see others doing. Use your judgment. Don’t act purely on instinct, because instinct leads to situations like this,” said Dimitrov.

The car has since been repaired, and the fact that it is a convertible helped limit the damage.

While the suspected “challenge” continues online, Dimitrov now parks the car with the boot facing the street to make it less attractive for photos and is actively searching for a garage in the neighbourhood.