Gilbert police seek help identifying victims, suspects in teen attacks
Gilbert police are seeking the public's help in identifying people involved in multiple teen attack cases.
At a news conference on Thursday, Chief Michael Soelberg said the department needed to identify both victims and suspects in four of their group teen violence investigations.
One of the investigations was new. It came to police attention through another investigation last week, Soelberg said. Another was a recently reactivated case from early 2023. The others were active investigations.
A Dec. 14 investigation by The Arizona Republic first detailed a string of vicious attacks by a gang called the "Gilbert Goons," who recorded their blitz-style attacks on teens in parks and parking garages, outside fast-food restaurants and at house parties. The Republic also outlined the group's potential ties to the fatal beating of 16-year-old Preston Lord outside of an Oct. 28 Halloween party in Queen Creek.
Since The Republic's report was published, at least 15 adults and juveniles have been arrested in connection with Goon attacks by authorities in Gilbert, Mesa and Pinal County.
Anyone with information about the identities of the people shown in these images is asked to call Gilbert police at 480-503-6500.
Seeking to identify people in car at In-N-Out
The first case Gilbert police were seeking help with was believed to have occurred in mid-August at the In-N-Out Burger parking lot, Soelberg said. The specific date, time, and location of the incident were unknown.
Soelberg played a video of the incident during the news conference, which showed two people hitting a man sitting inside of a car. Police knew the identity of the two people outside of the car, Soelberg said, but needed help identifying the two people inside the car.
2 robbery suspects from incident near downtown parking garage
The second investigation was an alleged assault and robbery on a juvenile that took place on Jan. 8, 2023, near a downtown Gilbert parking garage. The incident took place between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Police were looking to identify the two suspects in the photo stills.
A video of the assault was shown during the news conference. It depicted the victim leaning against a wall with two people standing before him. The individuals then attacked him.
Summertime attack near Guadalupe Road and Freestone Parkway
Police also were looking to identify the victim in an attack that officials believe occurred in summer 2023 on a sidewalk near Guadalupe Road and Freestone Parkway. Officials already knew the identities of the two attackers, Soelberg said.
Photo stills of the assault showed two people kicking and punching the victim, who was lying on the ground.
Person being held on the ground in December 2022 attack
Police were seeking to identify one person from an assault that took place on Dec. 3, 2022, inside a downtown Gilbert parking garage.
Multiple arrests have already been made in the case, but officials were trying to identify a person who was held on the ground, according to photo stills.
Taken to task: Chandler Unified school board accused of failing to act on 'Goon' attacks
Elena Santa Cruz is a criminal justice reporter for The Republic. Reach her at elena.santacruz@gannett.com or 480-466-2265. Follow her on X @ecsantacruz3.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert police seek help identifying victims, suspects in teen attacks
