An 18-year-old accused of using brass knuckles in multiple teen violence attacks was sentenced to years in DOC custody Friday morning.
Tyler Freeman pleaded guilty to two violent assaults, one stemming from an attack at a party and the other at the Gilbert In-N-Out. In court Judge Bruce Cohen heard from prosecutors, Freeman's family, and Freeman himself. Judge Cohen also watched video from those assaults and heard shocking jailhouse phone calls prosecutors say Freeman made while in custody.
NOVEMBER 2022 ASSAULT
Freeman was arrested earlier this year for multiple attacks that date back to 2022.
The first in November of that year at a house party on the edge of Gilbert and Queen Creek, near Higley and Riggs roads. ABC15 spoke with the victim, Dale Jorgensen, in February not long after he reported the attack to police.
"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."
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Dale told ABC15 he felt called to come forward after Preston Lord's death. Weeks later, multiple arrests were made including Freeman, William Owen Hines, Kyler Renner, and Jacob Meisner.
Renner was just sentenced to two years in prison for three different cases, including one teen violence related. At last check, his submittal in this assault was still under review. ABC15 has reached out to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for an update.
Hines and Meisner have both been charged with murder in the death of Preston Lord.
RELATED: ABC15 speaks to Queen Creek's police chief one year after the death of Preston Lord
DECEMBER 2022 ASSAULT
Both Hines and Freeman were also arrested in a separate assault stemming from December 2022 at the Gilbert In-N-Out. Jacob Pennington was also charged for the assault and was sentenced to probation back in in June.
Prosecutors said in court that at least one victim didn't want to aid in prosecution due to fear.
NOVEMBER 2024 SENTENCING
In court, prosecutors called Freeman the "instigator" and leader of these assaults. They told the judge he used brass knuckles and showed videos of the violent assaults.
They also showed Snapchat messages from the defendant to other people, who included teen violence suspects. Those messages included threats directed to police and Freeman specifically telling people their group made the streets of Gilbert "unsafe".
Prosecutors told the Judge in their opinion Freeman had not changed and played a series of phone calls made while the teen was in custody. In those calls, Freeman was heard threatening people with violence once he was released, insulting Preston Lord, and joking about using violence while in custody.
Freeman's mom addressed the Judge and told him that her son is a good person whose life spiraled two years ago.
“He wants a fresh start," said Dawn Freeman. "What was played was horrible, but he’s taken accountability.”
Freeman's attorney said that his client had been on a better path before he was arrested for these assaults. The teen also spoke and apologized for his actions and said that the calls did not show the remorse that he had.
Judge Cohen asked Freeman a series of questions regarding the calls and his intentions. He also asked Freeman if he was a part of the Gilbert Goons.
Freeman originally said no and then described it as a "friend group".
The group was at the center of a multi-agency investigation led by Gilbert Police. In May, the department said they were being classified as a hybrid criminal street gang. However, Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg announced there was not enough evidence for gang charges.
So far, no one arrested in the East Valley teen violence cases has faced gang charges.
Judge Cohen spent time talking directly to Freeman when handing down the teen's sentence.
"You didn’t give consideration to those you harmed," said Judge Cohen.
He ultimately sentenced Freeman to two and a half years and three years for the two cases, but those sentences will run concurrently. The judge also said Freeman would also get 268 days credit.
Freeman's attorney, Gregory Zamora, said after court rehabilitation for his client had already started. He insisted the teen wants to have a family and serve his community in the future.
"It was unfortunate that it was brought into a case that has nothing to do with the Lord family," said Zamora.
The teen's attorney did say the phone call was "shocking" to hear, but that Freeman said he was joking.
He told ABC15 he did not believe it was meant to cause anguish to the Lord family because it was made during what Freeman thought was a private conversation.
