Houston’s man is accused of killing an 11-year-old boy after the pranks of the Ding Dong Ditch Saturday, the oldest example of the trend that children remained dead.
The 42-year-old Gonzalo Leon Jr. was accused of murder on Monday for Julián Guzman’s 11-year-old death, Houston’s city said Tuesday.
The records of the Harris Regional Court have previously identified the suspect as Leon Gonzal’s junior. The suspect was reserved for a prison on Tuesday morning, the district records show.
Allegedly, Leon opened a fire for an 11-year-old, which the witness described as running away from the house when he was shot, police say.
“It was told officials that the man was sounding the bells of the house in the area and fleeing,” the police said. “The witness stated that the male was fleeing from the house, sounding a doorbell, just before the gunshot wound.”
The shooting seemed would not include self -defense because the shooting was “not home”, the Houston Police murder SGT. Michael Cass, according to CNN’s subsidiary Khou.
The autopsy report shows that the boy was at least 20 feet away when he was shot – far enough to avoid a threat, CNN said Sean Teare, a Harris County lawyer.
“He was doing what 11-year-old boys were doing. He played his neighbors’ swear words, which cost him life,” he said.
The initial court hearing, Leon appeared in court on Tuesday and agreed to have a court -appointed lawyer.
When asked if Leon cooperates with investigators, he said “no” in thear, adding that he had not made a statement about the incident.
Prosecutors will ask for a bond set by the judge $ 1 million. The judge will eventually decide whether Leon should be allowed to release for the bond.
Prosecutors can also apply to the capital murder fee, taking into account the victim’s young age, said thear.
Prank has led to several deaths
Ding Dong Ditching is an old prank that has been gaining popularity in recent years as a challenge of social media. Tiktok videos often have variants when swear words get caught or kick the front door of people.
May A 18-year-old high school elder was shot and killed in Virginia, filming “Ding Dong Ditch” to announce “Tiktok”, The New York Times reported. A man accused of shooting a teenager was charged with second -degree murder.
2020 Three 16-year-olds were killed when a California man scratched his car into their vehicle by retaliation for the “Ding Dong Ditch” pranks. The man was convicted of three murders and in 2023. Sentenced to life imprisonment without probation.
In the Houston case, the boy and his friends played a Ding Dong Ditch game at home on the street from his home just before Saturday at 11 am, when the person inside the house and shot a boy, Houston police said.
Julián was taken to the hospital and announced a dead Sunday.
A child’s death is “pain I never imagined”
Julián’s mother Janet Rodriguez said her son is a “affectionate, loving” boy who “always smiles”.
“With great heart pain, I share the loss of our son Julián,” wrote on the “Gofundme” page in Spanish. “He was thoughtful to all. Many people loved him so much.”
Rodriguez said the death of her son is “pain I never imagined.”
“He was just a kid. He didn’t hurt anyone,” she wrote. “They took my child, my baby, at such a young age. We had a lifetime in front of us. He didn’t deserve it. We’ll always love you. It’s not a farewell and a meeting later.”
For victims, the department contacted the family in Harris County to help them “browse what are undoubtedly the worst moments of their lives,” said thear.
This story was updated with additional information.
CNN Jeremy Grisham, Roxanne Garcia, Karina Tsui and Danya Gainor contributed to this report.
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