HOUSTON (KIAH) – A tragic incident unfolded in Houston where an 11-year-old boy lost his life after playing a doorbell prank, Houston police reported on Sunday.
The suspect, Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, is facing murder charges according to Harris County jail records. He was admitted into the Harris County Jail early on Tuesday, and a judge has denied his release on bond until his next court appearance scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Court records did not list an attorney for the man to comment on the allegations.
The incident happened at the 9700 block of Racine Street about 10:55 p.m. on Saturday.
The boy, identified by police Tuesday as Julian Guzman, 11, died of his wounds Sunday, August 31, police said.
The boy, identified as Guzman, had been engaged in a mischievous activity on Saturday night, which involved ringing doorbells and fleeing before anyone could answer—commonly known as “ding dong ditching,” according to a statement by the Houston Police Department.
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A makeshift memorial for 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, is shown Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
A makeshift memorial for 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, is shown Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
A home is shown Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston, near the location where 11-year-old Julian Guzman was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, according to police. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) -
Neighbor George Skinner, right, talks a police investigator outside a home Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston, near the location where 11-year-old Julian Guzman was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, according to police. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Officers detained one person at the scene for questioning. That individual was questioned and released as the investigation continued.
On Tuesday, authorities from the Houston Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Detail and Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT) apprehended Leon, who is now booked into the Harris County Jail.
Meanwhile, Guzman’s family has created a GoFundMe page for donations.
This dangerous form of prank has had fatal outcomes before. For instance, in 2023, a man in Southern California was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder for deliberately crashing into a car with teenage boys who had pranked him with a doorbell ring.
In another case in May, a Virginia man faced second-degree murder charges after shooting an 18-year-old who rang his doorbell while recording a TikTok prank video, as reported by the New York Times.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
