Gilbert teen admitted to arson and endangerment gets 1 year 'intensive' probation

A 16-year-old Gilbert teenager who admitted to burning down a barn full of classmates on July 3 will not face time in custody, after a juvenile court commissioner overseeing the disposition hearing rendered judgment on Nov. 4.

Instead, the boy will serve one year of "intensive" probation, plus other sanctions.

After more than an hour of testimony, Commissioner Keelan Bodow said these crimes were the most serious she had ever made a decision on in juvenile court. The girls had minutes to flee before the Morrison Ranch barn was fully engulfed in flames. It burned to the ground quickly, causing $1 million in losses.

Earlier, Bodow heard statements from victims of the barn fire and the juvenile’s family and supporters who explained why the boy should remain with his family to be “rehabilitated.”

In October, the teen admitted to arson, aggravated criminal damage and four accusations of endangerment with risk of imminent death.

Bodow ordered the teenager to one year of intensive juvenile probation rather than the standard probation that was recommended. That entails more oversight and communication between the teen and probation officer, she said. A limit on the teen’s access to social media was another sanction.

If the teen “earns it” over time, the probation oversight could decrease, she noted.

Bodow also took the recommendation from John Lewis, the father of one of the victims, and ordered the boy to complete 40 hours of mandatory community service with fire victims or burn victims' organizations. The teen was also ordered to complete two workbooks and submit them to the courts by the beginning of next year.

The commissioner also banned the teen from communicating with another boy who was accused of arson in juvenile court for the barn fire but denied the accusations. The court also barred the 16-year-old from communicating with half a dozen other Gilbert teens who were present for the fire.

If the boy violates any of the terms of his probation, he could face 120 days of deferred detention and 20 weeks of deferred juvenile electric tracking system.

What happened at the Gilbert barn that night?

Wearing ski masks, the group showed up at the barn and yelled obscenities at the girls inside, police, prosecutors and parents said. The boys threw one firework and then fled. Ten minutes later, they returned, tossing a second larger "mortar" into the barn that sparked the fire and burned it down, along with everything inside, according to police and court records.

Parents of the girls have said the attack was motivated by revenge after some of the girls snubbed some of the boys. The incident was the most serious of a series of attacks, threats and intimidation tactics stretching back three years at homes and shopping centers in the area, parents said.

The Arizona Republic is not naming the arrested boys because they are being prosecuted as minors in the Maricopa County Juvenile Court. A motion to transfer the case to adult court failed.

A restitution hearing is scheduled for Jan. 24. The second teen charged in the case will be in court on Dec. 6 for an adjudication hearing.

Parents of the girls in the burned Gilbert barn argued for stricter sanctions

Kelly Lewis, one of the victim’s mothers, told The Arizona Republic she would have preferred a harsher penalty for the teen in light of the commissioner's observation about the severity of the crime.

High school student Lauren Lewis was inside the barn when it caught fire. She testified on Nov. 4 that the boy's actions affected her the night of and months later.

Lauren called the barn their “dream hangout spot.” Before her, Lexi Jones and eight other teens drove over to the Jones’ barn they had a bible study session and were planning on wrapping up the night watching a movie.

It was “pitch black” in the barn until Lauren saw a flash of red light coming from the “mortar” firework. She and Lexi Jones went outside and saw the group of teens wearing “bandannas” and “ski masks” covering their faces and yelling at Lexi, telling her to “close her legs” and other words she wouldn’t repeat in court.

She said when the second mortar minutes later was thrown into the barn and it was engulfed in fire she was in a “state of panic.” She described how quickly the fire grew and how she could have lost her life and others if they had moved any slower.

“You got very lucky,” she said in court to the juvenile.

Since the fire, she said she’s been having a hard time dealing with panic attacks, not wanting to get out of bed and struggling to keep up with her grades.

“I’ll never be the same person I was,” Lauren said. She asked Bodow not to give the teen a “slap on the wrist.”

Lexi Jones offered similar testimony.

When the group of boys first arrived at the barn, Lexi said she begged them to leave her alone and to leave her house.

During parts of her statement, she held back tears recalling the night. She said she was scared for her life and had no idea how to act while the barn burned down.

She said she’s lost friends since the fire because she wanted the teen to be held accountable and have “consequences” for the delinquent acts.

“His action wasn’t little” and it would leave damage for a long time, she testified.

Barn fire case echoes handling of 'Gilbert Goons' teen violence

The two boys facing accusations in juvenile court remain the only two accused in the July 3 arson attack.

It follows a pattern in teen violence cases in Gilbert that has left many residents critical of how seriously police and prosecutors have responded to the barn fire and, before it, assaults by the "Gilbert Goons." The handling of the Goons' cases led to community protests and calls for Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg's resignation.

The Goons recorded blitz-style attacks on teens in parks and parking garages, outside fast-food restaurants and at house parties that went unchecked by police for more than a year. A December investigation by The Arizona Republic first tied the Goons to the fatal beating of 16-year-old Preston Lord at a Queen Creek Halloween party in 2023.

Gilbert was the nexus of the attacks, which also occurred in Mesa, Chandler and Pinal County. Authorities did not begin making arrests in Goon attacks until after The Republic's report. Only then, they reopened shelved cases and launched new investigations.

Similarly, Morrison Ranch residents were grappling with their own band of teenagers. Many criticized the Gilbert Police Department's response to the boys' behavior as inadequate.

One day after The Republic published an account of the fire and parents' concerns, Gilbert officials said police had made 14 arrests, 37 citations, 57 written warnings and 70 traffic stops related to teen behavior in Morrison Ranch.

Soelberg repeated the statistics at a Town Council meeting that day. He went on to mislead the public and town leaders by falsely claiming the news report was littered with "numerous inaccuracies." Those included omitting information reporters had asked for several days before the article appeared but were never given before publication.

The Republic has yet to receive any police reports documenting any of the 14 arrests more than two months after requesting them.

Teen’s family and friends show up in droves to plead for rehabilitation, not punishment

In juvenile court on Nov. 4, the accused teen’s grandfather, along with a family member and family friend argued that the boy was in a good home where he could be rehabilitated.

The teen’s grandfather told The Republic, it was “no fun to hear" Bodow's comment about the seriousness of the crime. He said he believes his grandson understands the gravity of the crimes and he will be there to make sure the teen follows the probation terms.

The Republic is not naming the juvenile’s grandfather to protect the identity of the 16-year-old.

A woman who lived with the teen’s family for two years spoke in court about her “unique perspective.”

She said she came from a home with an alcoholic father and a mother who committed suicide and the teen’s family took her in. She said being in their home was “a breath of fresh air” and that they were loving but harsh when needed.

She said the parents are “not blindly ignoring” the teen’s actions.

The teen’s parents also spoke during the hearing and said their son never intended to hurt or kill anyone with his actions and they were careless.

The mother said she was “truly sorry” for all that the Jones family had lost in the fire. She reiterated her son had taken responsibility for the delinquent acts and understood the “gravity” of it.

The father said he hopes this will be a “springboard to make a real positive change in (his son’s) life and in the community.”

The teen declined to speak in court.

His lawyer, Adam Ashby, told the court the people who testified, who wrote character letters and showed up to show her the teen has a support system that can help him be rehabilitated.

Bodow gave her decision and said in juvenile court it's not about “punishing” but rehabilitation.

Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert teen gets 1 year of 'intensive" probation for barn arson