A 32-year-old man was arrested this Wednesday in Country Walk, in southwestern Miami-Dade, accused of hitting a minor with a gun after the child played a prank known as ding dong ditch and then ran away, as reported by WSVN, citing the arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
The incident occurred on October 22, around 7:35 PM, when a group of children was walking through a neighborhood on the 16000 block of Southwest 142nd Terrace in Country Walk.
The boys had knocked on about four doors when Juan Francisco Carranza arrived at the place in a black Mercedes-Benz, got out of the vehicle, and pulled out a firearm.
According to the arrest report cited by WSVN, Carranza pointed the gun near the faces of two minors and demanded to know who was the oldest. When he did not receive a response, he struck one of them on the left ear with the base of the pistol grip, causing a laceration that required several stitches.
The second youngest confirmed the victim's account to the investigators.
Carranza was arrested without incident on the night of Wednesday, October 28, while leaving his residence in the Southwest 161st Place area. During the interrogation, he made a partial admission, according to the police report, but declined to answer whether he was carrying a weapon at the time of the incident without the presence of a lawyer.
The authorities charged him with aggravated child abuse with serious bodily injury—a first-degree felony in Florida—and two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
According to WSVN, a judge found probable cause and set a $10,000 bond. Carranza was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He was also ordered to stay away from the victims, according to Local 10.
The charge of aggravated child abuse is classified as a first-degree felony in Florida and can result, generally, in up to 30 years in prison. The state legislation on minimum sentences for firearm offenses includes aggravated child abuse among the crimes considered, although its application depends on the circumstances of the case and what is determined judicially.
Authorities have not disclosed the identity or age of the injured minor, and Carranza's origin has not been specified in official reports.
A similar case was reported in October 2025, when a man in Boca Raton was arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm after confronting an armed 14-year-old who was playing ding dong ditch.
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