A 32-year-old Florida man is facing felony charges after authorities accused him of pulling a gun on a group of children playing “ding-dong ditch” in his neighborhood and striking one boy in the ear with the weapon.
The child suffered an injury that required multiple stitches.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrested Juan Francisco Carranza on Wednesday, Oct. 28, outside his home. He faces one count of aggravated child abuse resulting in great bodily harm and two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
The confrontation reportedly happened around 7:35 p.m. on Oct. 22. According to the arrest report, two children told deputies they had been walking through the neighborhood with several friends, knocking on residents’ doors and running away as part of the prank.
The group had visited about four homes when a black Mercedes-Benz pulled up beside them, according to the report. Carranza allegedly got out, retrieved a handgun from his pocket and approached the children.
The children told investigators that Carranza demanded to know “who was the oldest” while holding the firearm near the boys’ faces.
When the children did not respond, Carranza allegedly struck one of them on the side of the head with the bottom of the gun’s grip, CBS News reported.
The blow left the boy with a severe cut to his left ear, authorities said. They took him to the hospital, where doctors gave him multiple stitches.
The other boy reported what happened to deputies the following morning.
Upon his arrest, Police advised Carranza of his Miranda rights and said he made a partial admission.
However, he declined to answer questions about whether he had carried a firearm during the encounter without an attorney present.
A judge set Carranza’s at $15,000 — and ordered him to stay away from the boys.
Florida Man’s Gun-Fueled Meltdown Over Kids’ Ding-Dong Ditch Prank Leaves Boy Needing Stitches
