PHOENIX — Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced new proposed legislation that would address "swarming" attacks with at least three people or more attacking a victim.
The legislation would create a new crime classification called "swarming."
Swarming would be defined as an attacker "aided by two or more accomplices" and would be classified as a Class 4 felony.
A traditional basic assault charge is currently a Class 6 felony, which in some plea deal cases can be lowered to a misdemeanor.
FULL COVERAGE: East Valley teen violence
“The issue with a Class Six felony is that, under the law, it can be turned into a misdemeanor," County Attorney Mitchell said. "This proposed statutory change will make this type of offense an unmistakable felony.”
Mitchell says the proposed change is in direct response to recent teen violence attacks, specifically done by groups of people who attack a single victim.
According to MCAO, the office has charged at least 18 cases of this manner since December 2023.
“In every corner of the county, and quite frankly the state, teen violence is on the rise. What is even more concerning is the level of violence we are seeing,” added Mitchell.
Teen violence has become a prevalent issue in recent months, specifically following the 2023 death of Preston Lord.
On October 28, 2023, the 16-year-old attended a Halloween party in a Queen Creek neighborhood. Upon leaving the party, Preston was attacked and beaten by a group of teens. Two days later, he was pronounced dead.
His death was followed by months of investigations into teen violence, and several teens being arrested connected to Lord and many other attacks.
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Several others spoke at the announcement in support of the legislation, including Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice.
In regards to the announcement, the Lord family's attorney provided the following statement to ABC15:
The Lord family is grateful for this critical step in addressing assaults involving multiple perpetrators on one victim. This proposed legislation is necessary to handle assaults where a victim is overwhelmed by a group of attackers. The dangers posed by these types of attacks go beyond individual acts of violence. They often lead to severe physical and psychological harm and, in Preston’s case, the unimaginable. The Lord family looks forward to bi-partisan support for this bill, which will provide justice and enhance the community's safety. – Bryn K. DeFusco, DeFusco Law, P.L.C.
