Ding-dong ditch prank leads to felony charges for Mesa man

MESA, AZ — A ding-dong ditch prank in a Mesa neighborhood now has a 45-year-old man facing a felony charge after prosecutors say he chased a juvenile in his car, grabbed him by the neck, and threatened to shoot or kill him.

Ghassan Khouri, 45, was arrested July 12, 2026 according to court paperwork, charged with one count of aggravated assault, a Class 6 felony.

According to a probable cause statement included in court documents, the alleged incident occurred March 20, 2026 when Mesa PD officers were dispatched to a neighborhood near the 202 and Val Vista after juveniles were reportedly ringing doorbells and damaging property. Multiple juveniles later told investigators they had been playing ding-dong ditch in the neighborhood according to court records.

Court documents allege that Khouri then pursued a group of juveniles in his car. Court records say Khouri exited his vehicle, pushed a juvenile off his bicycle, grabbed him by the back of the neck, took possession of the bike, and physically held the juvenile to prevent him from leaving. Khouri allegedly directed the juvenile back to his residence until police arrived.

The juvenile who was detained reportedly told investigators he had already left the area before a door was kicked and had returned later. Witness statements and video footage corroborated that account, according to court documents.

Court paperwork says several juveniles reported that Khouri threatened to shoot or kill them during the confrontation. One witness reported hearing Khouri make an additional verbal threat. The detained juvenile told investigators he feared being kidnapped, according to court documents.

Court documents say Khouri admitted to pursuing the juveniles, stopping the juvenile, taking his bicycle, and physically restraining him.

Khouri has not entered a plea. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office docket reports Khouri is expected in court for his Initial Appearance on September 18th.