20-year-old Jacob Pennington was taken into custody for allegedly being involved in the beating of a 16-year-old near San Tan Mountain Provincial Park. The incident reportedly occurred on November 19, 2023. According to AZ Central, this was one of many attacks by an apparent gang called “Gilbert Guns.” The suspect allegedly confessed to being part of the gang.
According to law enforcement officials, five people were arrested. The gang mostly targeted high school teenagers and beat them. The arrest of Pennington, who was reported to be a member of the gang, was announced a day earlier. Bond was also set at $5,000 for Jacob.
Jacob Pennington, a member of the self-proclaimed “Gilbert Guns” gang, has been accused of beating a teen in November 2023.
Several attacks on high school teens have occurred over the years in Southeast Valley communities. On November 19, 2023, a Casteel High School student was allegedly beaten by Jacob Pennington. He was recently taken into custody and was also granted bail.
The court set certain conditions if Jacob Pennington were released. He is prohibited from contacting the victim in any way, and may not attempt to contact any of the alleged Gilbert Guns members. According to authorities, they can identify Pennington in at least one of the attacks captured on surveillance footage.
According to Pennington's arrest affidavit,
“This investigation is ongoing. This investigation is independent and separate from the Queen Creek investigation into the death of Preston Lord.”
Therefore, police have yet to confirm whether Jacob Pennington is part of the gang. Local police are working with multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Arizona Gang & Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM), the Mesa Police Department's Gang Unit, the Queen Creek Police Department, and more to investigate the matter.
Police have not yet confirmed that the Gilbert Goods are a criminal street gang
The fatal attack on a teen named Preston Lord, 16, occurred Oct. 28 at a Halloween party in Queen Creek. According to AZ Central, community activists and parents believe a gang was involved in the attack. The official website of the Gilbert Police Department spoke about the incident and said:
“Initially, Gilbert Police had no reports of victims or suspects referring to 'Gilbert Guns', however, in recent information received from victims, there are references to their attackers as being linked to 'Gilbert Guns.'
Authorities believe the investigation will help them determine whether the Gilbert Guns can be treated as a street gang under Arizona law. AZ Central reported on a statement issued by Pinal County Mayor Mark Lamb on social media where he said:
“So, this morning PCSO arrested a suspect in the aggravated assault…of a teenager here in our province. This is an ongoing investigation, so I can't give you a lot of answers. And there will likely be more answers. Arrests in connection with this crime “.
A similar incident occurred in August in a parking lot near Williams Field Road and Market Street. Police identified the suspect as 18-year-old Christopher Fantastic. On Wednesday, the announced arrests included five people: Jacob Pennington, Fantastic, 18-year-old Aries Arredondo, and two 16-year-old minors.
