Homeowner arrested after chilling threat to 'ding dong ditch' pranksters he mistook for burglars
A Florida man was arrested after threatening a 'ding dong ditch' prankster with a gun after mistaking them for burglars.
Santiago Cairo, 40, is facing charges of aggravated assault with a firearm after allegedly pointing a gun at a 14-year-old outside his Boca Raton home.
On October 18, Cairo said he noticed a group of people gathered in front of his home, which he mistook for intruders.
The 40-year-old claimed to have called the police before grabbing his firearm and confronting the prankster.
But the teen alleged that Cairo confronted him with a flashlight and gun, screaming that he 'messed with the wrong guy,' WPTV reported.
The prankster then said Cairo forced him to get down on his knees, adding that Cairo allegedly grabbed his shoulder to push him to the ground.
The teen said he 'felt threatened' and investigators determined he never attempted to invade the Boca Raton home.
Cairo then admitted to the police that he went 'too far' when handling the 'ding dong ditch' situation.
The incident landed the 40-year-old behind bars, but he was later released on a $10,000 bond.
Santiago Cairo, 40, is facing charges of aggravated assault with a firearm after pointing a gun at a teen prankster outside his home
Cairo's Boca Raton home in Florida, where he confronted the teen outside of
Cairo pleaded not guilty to the case, and his attorney told the local outlet: 'All I can say is that Mr. Cairo never in fact pointed his firearm at anyone or put his hands on anyone.'
The homeowner's neighbor, Mary Elizabeth Hall, vouched for Cairo's character while expressing her disappointment in the investigation's outcome.
'I witnessed that mother drive away with her children in the back, while my neighbor Santiago was sitting handcuffed in the back of a car,' she told the local outlet.
Hall believes the investigators weren't thorough with the case as the neighborhood has faced a high amount of car break-ins recently.
She questions if the teens were actually pulling a prank, or if they were attempting to steal from Cairo.
'My neighbor did the right thing, and the outcome was not the right thing,' Hall added.
The 40-year-old is scheduled to appear in court next month, and his neighbor hopes the case ends with a fair outcome.
'I hope the outcome is that that young man learns a very serious lesson and that my neighbor Santiago, his name is cleared,' she said.
Santiago Cairo, 40, (pictured) is facing charges of aggravated assault with a firearm after he allegedly pointed a firearm at a 14-year-old prankster
Florida's self defense and 'Stand Your Ground Law' states that an individual can 'hold their ground' and use deadly force to protect or defend against imminent threat of death.
An individual has a right to use deadly force if in self-defense and that person has no duty to retreat, the law states.
Criminal Defense Attorney Michelle Suskauer, who is not involved in the case, told the local outlet that Cairo has the right to protect him and his property but the law has its limits.
'The question in this particular case is what did this person reasonably believe or did they reasonably fear that their home was going to be broken into?'
Suskauer added that this is 'a good message to firearm owners that every use of their firearm is not necessarily protected.'
