After attending a Halloween party and being badly beaten, sixteen year old Preston Lord died two days later on October 30, 2023, at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

On October 28, 2024, a few calls were made to the police station: one about a possible disturbance involving juveniles near 194th and Via Del Oro , teens were spotted leaving the area, and no illegal activity was seen.This call was made around 9:07 p.m.. The second call was made around 9:49 p.m. that was about an assault. When the police arrived, they found a teen lying in the street. Until the paramedics arrived, the police made countless efforts to keep Preston alive.

On January 11, 2024,, Preston Lord’s stepmom gave a statement to the court about her stepsons death. “Preston is more than a headline. He was a son, a brother, and a friend.” The case of Preston Lord brought many people together, speaking about the rise of teen violence. “The devastating loss of Preston’s life was due to unnecessary violence. Our child will never be coming home and we need to prevent this from happening again.”

After his death, this sparked many investigations around the East Valley, involving a group of teens. No arrests have been made, although the Queen Creek Police Department proposed charges against seven people to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. 

Officials confirmed that they have completed the report, and the report is now under law enforcement, ready to be released to the public, after the legal review. 

Many people have been arrested and charged for crimes they might be accountable for some of the attacks that happened in the East Valley. 

Unfortunately, the police still have not found the people responsible for Preston Lord’s death.