May 8—The group calling itself Gilbert Goons that has been terrorizing the community for over a year and brutally beating teens was officially declared a criminal street gang last week but won’t be charged as such. The classification followed a six-month joint investigation by multiple agencies, including Gilbert Police, Pinal County Sheriff’s Department, Queen Creek, […]
Gilbert police arrested a teenager Friday due to his connection to an assault that was reported in December 2023. The 19-year-old man was identified by police as Clayton Oden. He was booked into the Gilbert-Chandler Holding Facility and charged with disorderly conduct and assault. Oden’s arrest came two days after The Arizona Republic documented 95 assaults […]
The take on not wanting to pile on criminal street gang charges for the “Gilbert Goons” is certainly in the minority. For any of the families affected by their violence, the last thing they would want is lighter sentences. These wannabe gangsters acted like they owned the East Valley. Singling out a future victim, luring […]
Governing at the municipal level is not easy. But there are some priorities should guide local politicians. First among those is to protect and improve the quality of life of the citizenry, especially safety. Also important is absolute transparency in the governing process. Any politician entrusted with leadership and fails to prioritize and improve these […]
When 16-year-old Preston Lord died after being beaten by a group of teens at a Halloween Party in Queen Creek, Kristine and Robert Brennan began paying close attention to videos of similar attacks circulating on social media. It was obvious to the Brennans — and other concerned parents and southeast Valley residents who saw the […]
Mesa Police Chief Ken Cost denounced local teenage violence in a YouTube video published Saturday afternoon after Mesa police’s recent arrest of a juvenile connected with the “Gilbert Goons” gang. The 17-year-old suspect was arrested by the Mesa Police Department’s gang unit on Thursday in connection with a May 29 assault against another minor in […]
Reports of gang-style teen violence and assaults in the southeast Valley are leading three Gilbert Town Council members to launch a subcommittee to address residents’ concerns over the “Gilbert Goons.” Knowledge of the attacks grew after The Arizona Republic began talking to parents and kids after the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek. […]
It began with word of mouth and social media. Young people and their parents began sharing information about encounters with a group of young thugs who have been terrorizing parts of the southeast Valley. It took time to understand, but eventually people in Gilbert and Queen Creek were seeing patterns in what turned out to […]