A lighthearted prank turned into a heartbreaking disaster when an angry California man rammed his car into a group of teenagers’ vehicle after they played a joke on him at his home.
Anurag Chandra was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder for the tragic event that happened on January 19, 2020, in Temescal Valley, about 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
The six teens were just having a bit of fun with a “ding dong ditch” prank. One of them rang Chandra’s doorbell, mooned him, and then bolted. Sadly, their harmless gag triggered a deadly domino effect. Chandra, who didn’t know the kids, admitted in court that he chased after them because he was worried for his family’s safety and was “extremely, extremely mad” about the prank.
The car chase ended with Chandra forcing the teens’ Toyota Prius off the road and then taking off. The Prius driver desperately tried to regain control but ended up smashing into a tree, killing three 16-year-olds: Daniel Hawkins, Drake Ruiz, and Jacob Ivascu.
During the trial, Chandra confessed to downing 12 beers before the accident. He said he never meant to hit the Prius and didn’t stop after rear-ending it because he didn’t know anyone was hurt. Still, he admitted to driving like a maniac at 99 mph.
The survivors, 18-year-old driver Sergio Campusano and 13-year-olds Joshua Hawkins and Joshua Ivascu, witnessed the whole thing and testified in court. They were in the courtroom when the verdict came down.