Arizona attorney breaks down questions about the legalities in the Preston Lord case
GILBERT, Ariz. - Police in Gilbert continue to investigate the so-called "Gilbert Goons" gang amid concerns about teen violence in the East Valley.
As they do so, questions remain and community members are demanding answers about the death of young teen Preston Lord.
Local family attorney, Billie Tarascio, has been turning to social media to help break down some questions looming in the community.
Her TikTok videos have raked in thousands of views, providing legal context in this case.
She said she weighed in as a lawyer, a Gilbert resident and a mother of Gilbert kids.
Reports of violence and vicious teen attacks have sent shock waves across the East Valley community.
"It feels like these attacks have gone on for such a long time. It feels like there’s all this evidence. Why hasn’t anybody stopped these kids? Where are the parents? There’s just a lot of anger and frustration," she said.
Especially, Tarascio says, when videos and screenshots, seemingly capturing the crimes, are plastered across social media.
She explains investigators might need more.
"What you see in screenshots might not be admissible. They might be fake. They might be tampered. You have to get it from the source. The source is social media platforms or cell phone data, or cell phone tower data. None of that happens quickly," Tarascio explained.
Featured
Preston Lord murder investigation: Queen Creek Police say some parents are not cooperating with probe
Queen Creek's police chief made the claim in a statement that was issued in connection with an ongoing investigation into an incident back in October that led to the death of the 16-year-old teen.
Earlier this month, Queen Creek Police submitted a referral for charges against seven people in connection to 16-year-old Preston Lord’s death.
The teen was beaten at a Halloween party and died a few days later. His death led to outrage and marches for justice.
Tarascio says the submission of charges begins the process.
"That means that the district attorney, the county attorney, looks at the charges and says, ‘Do we have enough evidence to move forward and get a conviction?’ If they do, then that goes to the grand jury. The grand jury says, ‘Yes, we agree,’ then it goes to a judge who decides whether or not to issue warrants or summons, or how they want to handle that," Tarascio said.
Police said the seven suspects include both adults and minors.
"For anyone who is over the age of 15, if we are talking about murder, rape, battery, significant crimes, you can be tried as an adult," she explained.
What about parents?
"Parents are, in Arizona, civilly liable for their children’s willful, malicious torts, or crimes that cause damage. So I do anticipate we will see parents charged, and by charged, I mean sued civilly for damages connected with injuries," Tarascio explained.
Officers are still investigating violence in the East Valley community.
"While charges have been submitted, the investigation continues and the public is encouraged to submit any new tips to https://p3tips.com/952. I want to reiterate that our focus continues to be getting justice for Preston Lord," said QCPD's Chief Randy Brice.