West Palm Beach criminal defense attorney and former Florida Bar president Michelle Suskauer recently spoke with WPTV about a “ding-dong ditch” prank that escalated to a firearm confrontation involving a Boca Raton homeowner and a 14-year-old prankster.
According to police reports, 40-year-old Santiago Cairo believed several people were attempting to break into his home after seeing movement at his front door. He called 911, armed himself, and confronted a 14-year-old boy outside. The teen admitted to playing the prank but said Cairo shouted, “You messed with the wrong guy,” while holding a flashlight and gun. Cairo later told authorities he “went too far” and was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm.
“It’s a very, very dangerous game they were playing. Luckily no one was killed. This could have gone in a very different direction,” said Suskauer, who is not involved in the case.
Suskauer explained that while homeowners have a right to protect themselves, self-defense and Stand Your Ground laws have important 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?” she said.
Suskauer added that Florida’s open-carry environment may lead to more firearm misuse cases in the future.
“You have a right to protect yourself; you have a right to protect your property,” she said. “Every case is different, and we have to look at the interactions between the two and figure out if the use of his firearm is reasonable. It’s a good message to firearm owners that every use of their firearm is not necessarily protected.”
Read the full story here: ‘Ding-dong ditch’ prank gone wrong leaves Boca Raton man arrested (WPTV)
