Grand jury indicts army veteran on capital murder charge in ‘ding-dong ditch’ shooting of 11-year-old boy

HOUSTON – A grand jury has handed down a capital murder indictment against an Army veteran accused of shooting and killing an 11-year-old boy who was playing a neighborhood prank.

Court records indicate Gonzalo Leon was indicted Wednesday on the capital murder charge.

The move could significantly raise the stakes in the case.

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Leon is accused of shooting and killing Julian Guzman last August. Investigators said the child was playing “ding-dong-ditch” outside Leon’s home when he was shot.

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What changes if the charge is upgraded

Now that Leon has been indicted for capital murder, the punishment range shifts dramatically:

• Life in prison without parole, or
• The death penalty, if pursued by prosecutors

“It’s literally life and death,” said attorney Gianpaolo Macerola. “The stakes get higher when you’re facing a capital indictment.”

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Attorneys emphasized Leon is presumed innocent.

“At least now we can get some definitive understanding as to how the state is proceeding,” Macerola said.