Police had evidence of 'Gilbert Goons' attacks long before Preston Lord killed

Gilbert police had evidence the "Gilbert Goons" assaulted "30+" people nearly a year before 16-year-old Preston Lord was beaten to death by a gang of teenagers at a Halloween party in Queen Creek.

A newly released police report shows detectives in January 2023 obtained social media posts in which teens bragged about assaults, questioned if they would soon be arrested and wondered whether they should be classified as an "official gang."

But Gilbert police failed to crack down on the gang, making scant arrests even as the Goons continued recording assaults on teens at fast food restaurants, parks and house parties throughout the East Valley and sharing those videos on social media.

The teens in a Snapchat group chat called "The Streets" mocked police, belittled victims and talked up assaults at Gilbert In-N-Out Burger, where at least seven gang attacks were recorded. They also talked about staying away from the burger joint.

"Bruh — we should not still be going to in our out," an unidentified teen wrote in a December 2022 post, according to the report, which redacted the names of the senders and recipients.

"And as soon as they find out we r the ones who got into all the fights, We're gettin charged with w 30+ assaults," the teen posted. Another responded: "I think they alr have an idea."

The report obtained by The Arizona Republic through a public records request appears to contradict statements by Gilbert police Chief Michael Soelberg that the department had no way to link attacks to a specific group or tie them to specific locations until after Lord's murder.

Soelberg on Tuesday dismissed the Snapchat conversations as untrue.

"There was no evidence discovered during this investigation that confirmed any of the claims made in this conversation as being factual," he said in an email to The Republic. "At the time this information was received in 2023, Gilbert PD had six total reported cases of group teen violence in our community with eight arrests having been made in those cases."

None of the Snapchats mentioned the Gilbert Goons. Two other Snapchat groups mentioned in the report were called "Goofy Goobers" and "Untouchable Ninjas," which used an emoji in place of the word ninja.

'They are knowing who we all are': Teens discuss if police investigating

The police report stemmed from an investigation into a Dec. 30, 2022, brass knuckles attack on Connor Jarnagan, 17, at the In-N-Out. The beating took place two weeks after another brass knuckles beating at a Gilbert house party.

The group chats indicate police were aware the two attacks were connected to a group of teens involved in multiple assaults.

"Bruhhs — they are knowing who we all are," an unidentified teen posted in The Streets chat. "Gotta chill on the fighting they building a case."

Another teen responded that he didn't care.

"5 incidents w brass knuckles yea they not playing now," one of the teens wrote.

"Nana boo boo you can't catch me," someone wrote back.

The chat continued with one of the teens raising the issue of gangs.

"I think we just need to become an official gang already," the teen wrote.

Soelberg said in his email Tuesday that the department investigated all of the Snapchat claims and made arrests within 12 days of the assault.

A December investigation by The Arizona Republic first tied Lord's beating to the Goons, a gang of teenagers whose attacks on teens went unchecked by authorities for more than a year.

The Republic has documented 18 attacks involving 95 people in Goons assaults since November 2022. Authorities in Gilbert, Mesa and Pinal County began making arrests tied to the beatings in January and have since made 30 arrests.

Queen Creek police in March arrested four adults and three juveniles in connection with the attack on Lord. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has charged them with first-degree murder and kidnapping. All have pleaded not guilty.

Two accused in Lord's death have been charged in separate beating cases. A third appears in multiple beating videos but has not been arrested in connection with them.

Police in May announced they had classified the Goons as a hybrid criminal street gang, but Soelberg said there was not enough evidence to bring additional charges.

"It is also important to emphasize that outside of this Snapchat thread that there was no additional evidence of gang activity or references to gang activity," Soelberg said in the email. "A singular vague reference is not sufficient evidence to establish a criminal street gang per Arizona Revised Statute."

He also said the Snapchat messages suggested the teens were afraid of being caught by police, which had stepped up patrols around the In-N-Out.

"The teens were aware that the Gilbert Police Department was focusing proactive patrols at the In-N-Out," he said. "This coincides with the information we previously provided where GPD was aware of increased youth activity at this location and had been regularly patrolling the area. This is why the individuals involved referenced 'bruh. We should not still be going to in out.'"

Soelberg did not address at least two violent attacks that occurred at the In-N-Out in 2023, including one in August that left a teen with a $14,000 medical bill and forced him to move out of the country in fear.

Gilbert initially closed the case. It was reopened after The Republic's December report and police arrested six teens.

Mother of victim waits months for Gilbert police to release report

Connor Jarnagan's mother, Stephanie Jarnagan, said the police report was disturbing and disappointing. She said if Gilbert police had acted sooner, they could have stopped other attacks, including Lord's killing.

"They were well aware of a group of teens violently assaulting other teens," she said. "The attack on Preston Lord could have been prevented."

Stephanie Jarnagan said police waited months to release the investigative report, which the family first requested in February. Soelberg's claim that the Goons were lying in the Snapchat makes no sense, she said.

"I find it difficult to believe they (the Goons) would lie to each other in Snapchats," Stephanie Jarnagan said. "It seemed to me they were bragging."

She said the report suggests the department remains unwilling to take responsibility for not acting sooner to stop the Goons and fails "to acknowledge the red flags that were all over that report."

Connor Jarnagan’s case was first detailed by The Republic in December. Connor Jarnagan, then 16, and a friend were hanging outside In-N-Out near San Tan Village Parkway and Williams Field Road when a group of teenagers approached them.

One teen, Tyler Freeman, then 16 and identified as the “leader” in the police report, demanded money from Connor Jarganan and the keys to his car. When Connor Jarnagan refused, Freeman hit him in the head with brass knuckles, according to records and interviews. Connor Jarnagan required emergency treatment, including staples in his skull.

Freeman and another juvenile were arrested in connection with the attack in January 2023, but only Freeman was charged. Two weeks earlier, Freeman was involved in another brass knuckles attack on a teen at a Gilbert house party.

Freeman was convicted in juvenile court in April for both assaults. He was detained for nearly three months before being put on probation and ordered to spend five months in a behavioral health facility.

Freeman in January was arrested in connection with three additional beating cases that all took place before the Connor Jarnagan attack.

Snapchat messages suggest assaults were connected to teen gang

Police in court records noted Freeman was known to commit "unprovoked attacks" on random strangers with his friends. They treated him as an individual attacker in the two brass knuckle cases, although they noted in reports at the time the attacks involved groups of teens.

The Snapchat conversations suggested to police that the assaults were linked to a connected gang of teens, according to the report.

"Multiple subjects appeared to discuss other fights they were involved in and other crimes which were committed, including the burglary of a safe and a large amount of money which possibly occurred in Chandler, AZ. Additional follow-up will be conducted to corroborate this information and notify the Chandler Police Department," a detective wrote in the report.

"It appeared some of the subjects involved in the incident where (redacted) was robbed were previously involved with another incident related to a rock being thrown at a car before the robbery incident took place," the detective wrote of the Snapchat conversations.

Police relied on Connor Jarnagan to solve the case and identify his attackers, whom he had never met before that night, according to the report.

Stephanie Jarnagan said other teens provided investigative leads, including pictures and posts about Freeman and his gang of friends. Without their help, the case would likely never have been closed, she said.

"It appears it's well known at (redacted) that these guys go around jumping people but no (one) wants to talk about it because they are scared," Connor Jarnagan's father wrote in an email to police on the night of the attack.

"(Redacted) is a kid that apparently got jumped by these guys couple weeks ago also. I will provide more info as we get it," he wrote.

Police noted the teens discussed attacking others in Snapchat conversations less than an hour after the assault on Connor Jarnagan.

"U got extra knuckls?" one teen asked. "I'm tryin to send these kids to hospital."

Plea deal: Attacker pleads guilty to 'Gilbert Goons' assault in Pinal County, gets 3 years' probation

Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @robertanglen.

Elena Santa Cruz is a criminal justice reporter for The Republic. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X @ecsantacruz3.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert police had evidence of 'Goons' long before teen's death