TEENAGERS PLAYED A PRANK ON HIS DOORBELL. THEN IT ENDED IN A TRIPLE HOMICIDE.

A California man killed three teenagers who rang his doorbell as a prank. Now, he will never walk free again.

Recently, Riverside Superior Court Judge Valerie Navarro handed three life terms in prison without the possibility of parole to Anurag Chandra, 45, for the death of Drake Ruiz, Daniel Hawkins, and Jacob Ivascu. All three victims were 16 years old. Chandra was found guilty and convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

“The lives of countless families will never be the same because of one man’s anger, callousness and outrageous conduct, and I am grateful to Judge Navarro for imposing the maximum sentence in this case,” stated District Attorney Mike Hestrin, reported KTLA.

On the evening of Jan. 19, 2020, six teenagers at a birthday sleepover decided to dare one of them to play “Ding-Dong Ditch” at a stranger's house. Soon, the boys arrived at the defendant’s home on Modjeska Summit Road and executed the prank before mooning the defendant and fleeing the scene in a 2002 Toyota Prius. Unbeknown to them, Chandra, in a rage, had initiated a pursuit after the teenagers in his 2019 Infinity Q50.

According to prosecutors, the chase reached a top speed of 99 mph before the defendant caught up with the victims at Temescal Canyon Road near Squaw Mountain Road. Then, Chandra rear-ended and sideswiped the teenagers’ vehicle causing the Prius to slam into a tree. Three other teenagers, including the 18-year-old driver, survived the crash.

Instead of calling 911 and reporting the accident, the defendant fled the scene and headed back to his home. However, several individuals who witnessed the mayhem followed the defendant to his home before calling the police.

During the trial, Chandra told the jury he had been extremely upset and intoxicated after the prank and feared for his family's safety. They didn’t buy it!

“Every day we sense the absence of this young man. The hole in our hearts and lives from the taking of our son’s life is staggering,” said one of the victim’s father, Craig Hawkins during the victim impact statement, according to Washington Post.

On the other hand, Chadra’s defense lawyer, David Wohl, argued his client should have been charged with manslaughter, which carries a lesser sentence since the defendant acted impulsively and not intentionally. Hence, Wohl stated his client would be appealing the verdict.