Queen Creek, Arizona (3TV/CBS 5) – The high-profile case of a teenage boy bludgeoned to death in Queen Creek is now under the jurisdiction of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. It's been two months since 16-year-old Preston Lord was attacked after a Halloween house party. Now, Queen Creek police are finally ready to press criminal charges.
Solicitor Benjamin Taylor said: “Each case is very different and in this case, if the police didn't have evidence at the beginning and they gathered evidence later, that's not the first time the police had evidence. That's why I'm filing charges now.”
Taylor said the case could go to a grand jury to determine what criminal charges, if any, would be filed. The MCAO is examining the evidence and may refer individual cases back to Queen Creek detectives to collect further evidence. “The county attorney wants to make sure there is a likelihood of a conviction before charging anyone in this case,” Taylor said.
Queen Creek Police Department said no one has been arrested or taken into custody in connection with the Preston Road incident. Taylor said it is not uncommon for police to recommend charges to prosecutors before taking a suspect into custody.
“At the end of the day, county prosecutors have to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt in front of a jury. That's why they take so long to arrest and charge someone, and they have to properly They want to know if someone is in custody,” Taylor said.
Families are seeking justice not only in the Preston Road incident, but also in other assault cases of teenagers in the East Valley. Parents have taken to social media to express deep concern over the rise in violence by so-called teen gangs. Gilbert police are investigating incidents related to the group and recently reopened four cases related to assaults on teenagers.
“I think there's a general concern that we have more than seven suspects in previous assaults that have taken place over a year, year and a half,” said Katie McPherson, an advocate for the mother and the teen.
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