Doorbell Prank Leads to Murder of 3 Teenagers After Suspect Rams into Their Vehicle in California

Anurag Chandra was convicted for the murder of three teenagers who played a doorbell prank on him. The suspect allegedly rammed his car into the victims’ vehicle which caused their death.

In January 2020, six teenage boys were reportedly playing “ding-dong-ditch” in Temescal Valley, California, where they played a doorbell prank on houses and driving away thereafter. One of the homeowners who had been pranked was Anurag Chandra, 45, who claimed that one of the teenagers rang his doorbell and showed his buttocks before running back into their 2002 Toyota Prius.

According to Speakman, at around 10:30 p.m., Chandra sped after the teenagers whose vehicle was driven by Sergio Campusano, 18, and rammed his own car into theirs. Due to this, the teenagers’ vehicle had hit a tree where one teenager was declared dead on the spot. Two other teenagers reportedly died at the hospital, while the other three suffered non-fatal injuries. The three teenagers who died were identified as Daniel Hawkins, Drake Ruiz, and Jacob Ivascu, who were all aged 16.

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Doorbell Prank Leads to Murder

According to Santucci, on April 28, Chandra was found guilty of murder in connection with the death of the three teenagers. Chandra was convicted by a judge in Riverside County where he faced charges of three counts of attempted murder and three counts of first-degree murder.

Reports say Chandra previously admitted that he had 12 bottles of beer before the incident happened which made him easily angered. However, Chandra denied in court that he had intended to ram his car into the teenagers’ vehicle. Nonetheless, Chandra’s sentencing is set to be on July 14 where he will face a life in prison without parole.

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