GILBERT, AZ — The Gilbert Police Department announced Friday that the department will review their past assault cases on teens to see if there is any connection to a group they were recently made aware of called the "Gilbert Goons."
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In a new webpage posted on Gilbert’s website, they answer questions about reports of the Gilbert Goons.
Although the police department said they don’t have any cases of victims or suspects referring to the group as the “Gilbert Goons,” they wrote, “We are actively reviewing our assault cases involving youth to see if there is any additional information or correlation between these incidents that can assist us with our past investigations.”
Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg released a public statement on Thursday about the alleged group saying, “Gilbert PD has investigated and will continue to investigate all reported incidents and take the proper actions to ensure any concerning behaviors or crimes are addressed promptly.”
REPORTS OF TEEN VIOLENCE
The ABC15 Investigators have reviewed reports of at least four attacks that happened in Gilbert.
Court records say in one report that "the incidents are escalating in frequency and severity" after a 14-year-old was robbed and beaten in Gilbert.
The victim was walking along a canal path south of Juniper Avenue when four male subjects assaulted the teen while recording the incident on camera.
A witness to the incident told investigators that four subjects were seen “beating” the teen.
In another court record, a teen was brutally assaulted by a group of teens at an In-N-Out in Gilbert in December 2022. The mother of the victim described it as “a gang of boys” attacking her son.
Records say that one of the teens arrested in the attack used brass knuckles and hit the victim in the back of the head.
Rick Kuehner spoke with ABC15 at a Gilbert City Council meeting this week, describing a similar attack at In-N-Out that took place in August where his son was also assaulted by a group of teens.
Police have not made an arrest in that case.
Kuehner said his son is now living out of the country with his mother out of fear for his safety.
“We had to pull him out of the school, they couldn’t guarantee his safety. He was still getting threats from kids he didn’t even know," Kuehner said.
In a statement released Thursday, Gilbert police said their department does not have police reports from victims or suspects associating or connecting the group to any alleged reported criminal activity.
TREND OF ASSAULTS
Gilbert Police Department acknowledged publicly on Friday that they have noticed an increase in assaults on teens at a Gilbert In-N-Out location, but they did not say how many assaults they are aware of.
Officials said online, “While the location was similar, according to our reports, each incident involved different individuals.”
“Throughout the last year, our patrol teams were directed to increase their patrols of these locations, which also included assigning officers to the area at and around the business. There were never any documented references in our reports to the group 'Gilbert Goons," Gilbert PD said.
Gilbert police are asking anyone with information regarding these incidents or other similar incidents to call them at 480-503-6500.
HAVE A TIP? Email ABC15 Investigator Nicole Grigg at nicole.grigg@abc15.com.
