RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A Southern California man accused of killing three 16-year-olds by ramming their vehicle after they played a doorbell-ringing prank on him was found guilty of three counts of murder.
Jurors in Riverside County deliberated three hours before convicting Anurag Chandra, 45, of Riverside, of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder, The Press-Enterprise of Riverside reported.
Chandra was found guilty in the Jan. 19, 2020, deaths of Jacob Ivascu, of Riverside; and Corona residents Daniel Hawkins and Drake Ruiz, according to the newspaper.
According to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Chandra became enraged when a group of six teens celebrating a birthday decided to play a game of “doorbell ditch,” a prank where someone rings a home’s doorbell and then runs or drives away.
One of the boys rang the doorbell at Chandra’s house, then ran. The teen entered a 2002 Prius with the five other boys and drove away with Chandra in pursuit.
Police said Chandra chased down the vehicle in a 2019 Infinity Q50, driving 99 mph in a 40 mph zone at one point, and struck the teens’ car, sending it into a tree in Temescal Valley, the Press-Enterprise reported.
[ Man charged with murder after doorbell prank turns deadly ]
Three teens died. The 18-year-old driver and two passengers, ages 14 and 13, suffered broken bones and other injuries, according to the newspaper.
Chandra was followed to a nearby house by witnesses who called authorities.
“The murder of these young men was a horrendous and senseless tragedy for our community. I thank the jury for their verdict. This is an important step toward justice,” Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement.
Chandra’s attorney, David Wohl, called it a “tough verdict.”
“There is a lot of passion behind this case and sometimes it plays into the verdict,” Wohl told reporters after the verdict.
Chandra will be sentenced on July 14, the Press-Enterprise reported. He faces life in prison without parole.