Man accused of pistol-whipping child over ding-dong ditch prank, deputies say

A 32-year-old man was arrested after deputies said he threatened two juveniles with a firearm and struck one of them in the ear with the weapon after they played ding-dong ditch in a Miami-Dade neighborhood. According to an arrest report, the incident happened around 7:35 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, when a group of juveniles were walking through a neighborhood knocking on doors and running away. Investigators said the group had knocked on approximately four doors when Juan Francisco Carranza arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz, stepped out of the vehicle and pulled out a firearm. Carranza allegedly waved the gun near the faces of two juveniles and demanded to know which one was the oldest. When neither answered, deputies said Carranza struck one of the juveniles in the left ear with the base of the gun s grip, causing a laceration that required multiple stitches. The second juvenile corroborated the victim s account, according to the arrest report. Deputies said Carranza was