Over a dozen arrests have been made in a Phoenix-area city this year as it and other communities have grappled with group violence by teens, and after a 16-year-old died after being beaten outside a Halloween party.
Queen Creek police said they submitted charges for review against seven people in connection with the death of 16-year-old Preston Lord to the county attorney’s office in late December.
Last month, police submitted charges to prosecutors for review against seven people in the death of Preston Lord, 16, who was found beaten in a roadway in the town of Queen Creek on Oct. 28. He died two days later.
Prosecutors have not filed any charges, and say they are still reviewing it. There have been no arrests.
The seven people include both teens and adults, NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix reported citing police.
“I want to acknowledge the heartache that we feel from the passing of Preston Lord and the teen violence that’s happening in our region,” Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley said at a Jan. 17 Town Council meeting, after a moment of silence.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell on Wednesday called the Lord case “extremely complex,” and said it involves an over 2,000-page police report and 2,000 pieces of digital evidence, including around 600 videos.
“We are working very, very, quickly to get this done because I know the community wants answers — and most importantly, Preston Lord’s family wants answers,” Mitchell said at a news conference.
Group teen violence issue
Authorities in several Arizona cities are grappling with the issue of group teen violence.
In the wake of Lord’s death, Queen Creek police pledged extra patrols in areas where teens congregate.
In Gilbert, which is adjacent to Queen Creek, in Arizona’s East Valley, 14 people connected to group teen violence have been arrested since the start of the year, including four this week, Police Chief Michael Soelberg told reporters Thursday.
The arrests were connected to incidents…
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