Palm Beach County prosecutors have decided not to pursue charges against an armed man who detained a 14-year-old boy after he and his friends allegedly ding-dong-ditched at his home near Boca Raton.
Santiago Cairo, 40, was arrested in October on charges of aggravated assault. That evening, a group of three teenage boys had arrived at his home on Boca Circle as part of a series of ding-dong ditch pranks in the neighborhood, according to a probable cause affidavit. But Cairo thought they were attempting a break-in. He went inside, grabbed his gun, returned outside, found the 14-year-old boy and ordered him onto his knees, telling him “you messed with the wrong guy,” according to the affidavit.
The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office had until Thursday to file charges. On Tuesday, prosecutors wrote that they would not be pursuing the case, saying, “although there was probable cause to make an arrest, the evidence cannot prove all legally required elements of the crime alleged and is insufficient to support a criminal prosecution.”
“A decision to enter a No File is based on the specific facts of each case, the strength of the evidence, victim/witness cooperation, and the applicable law,” Marc Freeman, a spokesperson for the State Attorney’s Office, said in a statement. “The decision in this case was made after a thorough and careful review by experienced prosecutors of all evidence, witness statements, and discussions with the victim.”
The father of one of the boys, who asked that his name not be used, said that the three families had agreed that not pursuing charges was the best course of action because they did not want the boys to have to relive what happened in court.
The 14-year-old who was detained by Cairo is still deeply shaken by what happened, the father said. The teen no longer comes to his son’s house, which is in the same neighborhood as Cairo’s, because he is scared.
The three boys, two 14-year-olds and one 15-year-old, attend school together and are best friends, the father said. They were coming back from the neighborhood YMCA between 7 and 8 p.m. when they decided to prank some of the nearby houses. They had ding-dong-ditched at two other houses when they got to Cairo’s. After he confronted them, two of the boys continued running, the father said, but one of the 14-year-olds stayed behind, leading Cairo to detain him on the ground until deputies arrived, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The altercation came amid several recent cases both in South Florida and throughout the country in which ding-dong ditchers were held at gunpoint, shot, or killed. The West Boca Raton neighborhood where Cairo lives is less than a mile from where 16-year-old Mark Drewes was shot in the back after fleeing from a ding-dong-ditch in 2003. The shooter later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
After the October incident, the father said, the parents talked to the teens about the dangers of what they had done.
“We’re apologetic,” the father said. “The boys shouldn’t have been ringing doorbells, not Santiago’s, not anyone else’s. It’s inconsiderate, it’s dangerous obviously, and we want to be good neighbors.”
Still, as Cairo’s arrest garnered media attention, the father said he grew disturbed by commenters on social media who appeared to blame the boys and even encourage violence against them. He emphasized that all three boys come from “great families;” his son is a straight-A student.
“These aren’t boys that are out terrorizing the streets,” he said. “They’re not stealing things, they’re not causing harm to any property. They crucify kids for playing video games and being on their phones all day, and then when they go out and be kids like we all reminisce about, they say they deserve to get shot.”
Cairo had a different perspective. He told the Sun Sentinel Thursday that he still believes the teens were attempting a break-in and that he never pointed his gun at the boy.
Cairo had been renting his home in the West Boca neighborhood for a little over a year. Prior to the incident, he said, he had concerns about security following car break-ins and neighbors having their doors kicked in. He said he purchased an advanced fingerprint lock for himself and a neighbor as well as an AI-powered camera system for all of his windows. That October evening, while walking his dogs, he said, the camera system sent his phone an image of what appeared to be a dark figure holding an object outside of his door, leading Cairo to grab his gun and call 911.
After his arrest, Cairo’s attorney, Luis Cartaya, provided prosecutors with surveillance video showing that his gun, which was equipped with a flashlight and laser, was clearly “pointed in a downward position at all times,” Cairo said.
“Mr. Cairo never pointed the firearm at the individual,” Cartaya told the Sun Sentinel in a text. “I sent these over to the State along with some facts supporting our position and I think they realized they had to ‘No File’ the charges. I’m glad I was able to help Mr. Cairo through this process as I felt he was wrongfully accused and his life was turned upside down.”
Cairo said he was “relieved” to see that prosecutors opted not to file the charges, but the arrest and ensuing media attention harmed his reputation and hurt his business. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office petitioned for a risk protection order against Cairo the day after his arrest, and a judge granted a temporary one, leading deputies to confiscate his six guns.
Still, Cairo stands by his actions.
“As a community member, I will defend my property, and I will defend my neighbors,” he said.
A hearing on whether to grant a permanent risk protection order against Cairo is scheduled for Dec. 4.
