Preston Lord was killed in October 2023 in Arizona (Crime scene screenshot from Phoenix NBC affiliate KPNX/YouTube; victim’s photo from GoFundMe)
Five teenage boys and a 20-year-old man have been indicted in the murder of a 16-year-old boy beaten and left for dead on an Arizona road after a Halloween party amid a wave of teen violence.
In announcing the arrests in the October killing of Preston Lord of three men, ages 18, 19 and 20, and three 17-year-old boys, Maricopa County Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell said evidence includes 600 pieces of video, and talked about the family’s agony as the investigation remains ongoing.
“The loss of a child is unimaginable for most of us, but to live it is a whole new level of horror,” she said.
In a statement, Preston’s family expressed gratitude to community members who provided information to secure the arrests.
“But for law enforcement’s collective efforts and community members’ invaluable cooperation, these arrests would not have happened,” the statement said. “Each arrest represents a step towards accountability and justice for our son Preston.”
Preston was fatally beaten on Oct. 28. The case came to light when police received a 911 call at 9:49 that night about an assault near 194th Street and Via Del Rancho in Queen Creek, outside Phoenix. Preston was found in the road and was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and died two days later.
Police immediately launched a homicide investigation, collected hundreds of tips, conducted interviews, and served more than 50 search warrants in the hunt for the killers. In one case, on Nov. 6, the Queen Creek SWAT team serving an arrest warrant shut down a neighborhood street in Gilbert. The warrant was for the arrest of Renner, one of the first to be arrested in the murder.
Preston’s aunt said on a fundraising website that his killing is unfathomable and he is much loved. His heart stopped, and others stepped in to try to save Preston’s life until emergency personnel arrived, but he died two days later at a hospital after suffering a severe brain injury.
“We have no words for the support and love we have been shown,” the aunt said. “Thank you for loving us and our boy.”
More charges could be coming as prosecutors also suspect a cover-up of the beating, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.
“I think it’s fair to say that nothing’s off the table. No one is off the table in this investigation, and if we find evidence that is sufficient to bring those charges, we will bring those charges,” Mitchell said.
The news of the arrests comes as police are investigating assaults by teens beyond Preston’s killing in the Phoenix suburbs.
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