Four East Valley cities along with Pinal County are actively investigating cases involving teen violence. Some of those cases were recently reported, including Dale Jorgensen's assault in November of 2022.
"It felt like a fever dream really," said Jorgensen. "I kind of just pushed it off to the side when it happened."
Now 19 years old, Jorgensen can still remember the assault at a house party on the edge of Gilbert and Queen Creek near Higley and Riggs roads. At the time, back in 2022, he was a student at Basha High School.
"The party got a little out of hand, so I was telling people to leave," said Jorgensen. "I went up to a group of kids, and I was telling them they had to leave."
But he said the situation escalated quickly.
"That's when they swung on me," said Jorgensen. "From there it turned it into one, two guys swinging on me to eight guys swinging on me in a circle. I just remember one guy throwing brass knuckles at me [and] one hit me on the top of the head."
Jorgensen was hurt but was ultimately okay. He didn't report what happened until recently when he realized the situation was much bigger.
ABC15 asked Jorgensen why he decided now was the time to report what happened.
"Originally I didn’t think much of it, I just thought some dumb teenagers going around," said Jorgensen.
But he said weeks after Preston Lord's death, he decided he should go to the police.
Fears heightened in the East Valley after 16-year-old Preston Lord was beaten at a Queen Creek Halloween Party and later died.
FULL COVERAGE: East Valley teen violence
There have been no arrests in Lord's case but recommended charges against seven people are now being reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
In Gilbert, police are now investigating 10 active teen violence cases including Jorgensen's.
"We received the video in January," said Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelburg. "We didn’t even know about that, and that was the victim came forward to report based on the information he was seeing in the media and online."
ABC15 was sent video of the assault. Gilbert Police confirmed this was video from the case and Jorgensen was one of two victims the night of the attack, the other was a minor at the time.
After Jorgensen went to the police, four people were quickly arrested including 18-year-old William Owen Hines, 18-year-old Kyler Renner, and two 17-year-olds. One of those minors, Tyler Freeman, is being charged as an adult.
"This has been taken way out of hand and what they’ve done is not right," said Jorgensen.
Court documents obtained by ABC15 show Hines and Freeman have been linked to multiple crimes for years.
Both Renner and the other 17-year-old have also been arrested for multiple assaults.
Jorgensen hopes coming forward will encourage others.
"You coming forward will just help more and help to take them down, and being confident in what you say and what you do is the first step," said Jorgensen.
Both Hines and Freeman have been indicted for their alleged involvement in Jorgensen's case.
MCAO told ABC15 Renner’s case is still under review.
