Miami-Dade man arrested after pistol-whipping child playing "ding dong ditch," report says
A Southwest Miami-Dade man was arrested after authorities said he confronted a group of children playing "ding dong ditch" and pistol-whipped a juvenile in the ear, leaving the child needing multiple stitches.
Juan Francisco Carranza, 32, was arrested Wednesday evening outside his home along Southwest 161st Place by Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies. He faces one felony count of aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm and two felony counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
According to his arrest report, a deputy responded to the residence on the morning of Oct. 23 after reports of an armed confrontation involving juveniles that took place the night before.
Two child victims told the deputy that at around 7:35 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, they and several friends were walking through the neighborhood playing "ding dong ditch," a prank involving knocking on people's front doors or ringing their doorbells and running away.
After the group had knocked on around four homes, the arrest report said that a black Mercedes-Benz suddenly pulled up next to them. The driver, who investigators later identified as Carranza, got out of the car, pulled a handgun from his pocket, and approached the children.
The victims told deputies that Carranza was determined to know "who was the oldest" while waving the gun near the faces of two child victims.
When the children didn't answer, the report said Carranza struck one of the juveniles on the side of the head with the base of the gun's grip. The blow caused a severe laceration, according to the report, to the child's left ear, requiring treatment and multiple stitches at a local hospital.
The second child witnessed the attack and reported the incident to responding deputies the next morning.
How the suspect was arrested by MDSO
Following the investigation, deputies obtained an arrest warrant for Carranza on Wednesday afternoon. At approximately 6:52 p.m., according to the report, an MDSO detective spotted him walking out of his home and took him into custody without incident.
Carranza was brought to the department's Hammocks District station for questioning. After being advised of his Miranda rights, the report said that Carranza made a partial admission to detectives but declined to answer whether he had a firearm in his possession during the encounter without an attorney present.
He was taken into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his total bond was set at $10,000.