A vivacious 11-year-old killed in a ‘ding dong ditch’ prank will be laid to rest Saturday. A veteran is charged in his death

By Holly Yan, CNN

(CNN) — He was a delightful charmer known as a little “ladies’ man.” A gregarious Houston boy who loved cooking as much as he adored sports and video games.

But instead of playing soccer with his friends, 11-year-old Julián Guzman will be laid to rest Saturday – exactly one week after a popular children’s prank ended with a fatal gunshot wound to his back.

“Julian brought immeasurable joy and light into the lives of everyone who knew him,” his obituary states.

“He had a big fascination for dropped trucks. Known affectionately as a little ‘ladies’ man,’ he had a special way of charming everyone around him with his kindness, humor, and a big heart.”

While Julián’s family prepares for his funeral, another family awaits the fate of a father and Army veteran accused of killing the young boy.

Gunman fired from a stop sign outside his home, prosecutor says

On the last night of his life, Julián and his 10-year-old cousin got bored at a family birthday party Saturday and ventured out to knock on people’s doors before running away.

“They stopped wanting to hang out with the rest of the family and wanted to go be kids,” Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told CNN.

The prank, known as “ding dong ditching,” has been around for ages. But in recent years, the stunt has gained renewed popularity on social media. TikTok videos often feature variations where pranksters pound on or kick people’s front doors.

TikTok has not responded to CNN’s questions about when the company first learned “ding dong ditch” pranks were leading to physical harm or whether the platform has taken any action to restrict such posts.

The two boys knocked on the doors of multiple homes before reaching the house at the end of the street – the blue, two-story home of Gonzalo Leon Jr. The Army veteran was at home with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, court documents state.

The boys knocked on Leon’s door several times and ran away, Julián’s cousin told police. He then “saw a male dressed in black” emerge, step out of the house and shoot in their direction, court records say.

The man shot once into the ground. Then he raised the pistol and fired a second shot – this time, into Julián’s back, his cousin said.

The boy cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground, screaming for help.

The suspect “actually stood at a stop sign when he was shooting – or at or near a stop sign – when he shot in the direction of his victim,” prosecutor John Brewer said.

The 10-year-old cousin told police he dragged Julián’s wounded body “Army” style “because he believed that his legs were paralyzed.”

Julián died the next day “while being treated for a gunshot wound to his back,” a Houston police detective wrote.

“He was just a child. He harmed no one,” his mother, Janet Rodriguez, wrote in a verified GoFundMe for her son. “They took my child, my baby, at such a young age. We had a whole life ahead of us. He didn’t deserve this.”

The murder suspect was arrested at a La Quinta 20 miles away

Investigators questioned Leon over the weekend, but the 42-year-old father wasn’t arrested until Monday – after authorities determined they had enough probable cause to charge him with murder.

A SWAT team captured Leon at a La Quinta hotel in La Porte, about 20 miles away from his house, Brewer said.

“Police reported that he had a large amount of clothes with him,” the prosecutor said. “Moving to a motel or going to a motel 20 miles away from their house is also consistent with preparing to, perhaps, flee the jurisdiction.”

But Leon’s attorney said his client had reason to stay at the hotel.

“There’s been ample news coverage over this. It would be our contention that news media has been around their house right after this incident, as he was not arrested at that time,” defense attorney Gianpaolo Macerola said.

“At that point, considering he has a very, very young child – 2 years old – they went to a La Quinta that is close by the college that he’s enrolled in, the San Jacinto Maritime Center, approximately … 2 miles away from the La Quinta,” Macerola said.

“He had clothes with him because he didn’t know how long it was going to take.”

A judge denied the defense team’s request to set the bond at $100,000 and ruled in favor of the prosecution, setting bond at $1 million.

Leon remains in jail Thursday morning. He will be arraigned on October 21, according to court records.

A family’s final goodbyes

Julián leaves behind two parents, two brothers and “many friends and relatives who will forever hold him close in their hearts,” his obituary says.

A visitation and rosary service for Julián will take place Friday at the Funeraria Del Angel Crespo in Houston.

A chapel service and committal service will follow on Saturday.

Though Julián “left this world too soon at the age of 11,” his obituary says, he “will always be remembered for his bright smile, his playful spirit, and the joy he brought into every room he entered.”

CNN’s Ashley Killough, Ed Lavandera, Chuck Johnston and Danya Gainor contributed to this report.

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