California man guilty of killing 3 after ‘ding dong’ prank

April 28, 2023  -RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California man accused of killing three teenage boys by intentionally ramming their car after they played a doorbell-ringing prank on him was found guilty Friday of murder.

Anurag Chandra was convicted in a Riverside County courtroom of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

“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,” county District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement.

Chandra’s attorney, David Wohl, did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.

The victims, who were all 16 years old, were among six teens inside a Toyota Prius on Jan. 19, 2020 when Chandra intentionally rammed their vehicle off the road and fled, prosecutors said.

The Prius’ driver lost control and the sedan slammed into a tree in Temescal Valley, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles.