Miami man charged after pistol-whipping child during door-knocking game

A 32-year-old Miami man was charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated assault after deputies said he pistol-whipped a child during a neighborhood prank on October 22.

Juan Francisco Carranza allegedly confronted two juveniles who were playing ding-dong ditch in a Miami-Dade neighborhood around 7:35 p.m. that Thursday. The arrest report states the group had knocked on approximately four doors before Carranza arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz.

According to investigators, Carranza exited the vehicle and pulled out a firearm. He waved the weapon near the faces of the two children and demanded to know which one was the oldest. When neither child answered, deputies said he struck one of them in the left ear with the base of the gun's grip.

The impact caused a laceration that required multiple stitches. A second juvenile corroborated the victim's account of the events. Carranza was taken into custody on the evening of October 28, shortly after he left his residence.

During questioning, Carranza made a partial admission. He declined to answer whether he possessed a firearm at the time of the incident without an attorney present. A judge found probable cause and set his bond at $10,000.