Miami-Dade Man Arrested After Pistol-Whipping Child Playing Prank

A man in Southwest Miami-Dade was arrested Wednesday after police said he assaulted a child playing a neighborhood prank. The incident resulted in a severe ear injury requiring surgical repair.

Juan Francisco Carranza, 32, was taken into custody outside his residence on Southwest 161st Place by Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies. He faces one felony count of aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm. He also faces two felony counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.

According to the arrest report, the confrontation occurred around 7:35 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22. A group of children was walking through the neighborhood playing ding dong ditch. This game involves knocking on doors or ringing doorbells and then running away. The victims told investigators they had knocked on approximately four homes before the incident began.

A black Mercedes-Benz pulled up next to the group. The driver, identified as Carranza, exited the vehicle and pulled a handgun from his pocket. He approached the children while waving the weapon near the faces of two of them. He asked the group to identify the oldest child, according to the report.

When the children did not answer, Carranza struck one juvenile on the side of the head with the base of the gun's grip. The blow caused a severe laceration to the child's left ear. The victim required treatment and multiple stitches at a local hospital. A second child witnessed the attack and reported the incident to deputies the following morning.

Deputies responded to the residence on the morning of Oct. 23 after reports of an armed confrontation involving juveniles. Following the investigation, authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Carranza on Wednesday afternoon. At approximately 6:52 p.m., 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, he made a partial admission to detectives. He declined to answer whether he had a firearm in his possession during the encounter without an attorney present. He was held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his total bond was set at $10,000.