GILBERT, AZ — A group of parents is demanding two Gilbert public officials resign after the handling of teen violence in their town.
"That beacon of light shining down across Gilbert will continue to bring awareness to teen violence," said one parent during Tuesday's town council meeting in Gilbert.
The Gilbert water tower was lit up orange on Tuesday night. Parents hope it will serve as a symbol to ignite action and find justice.
"They have charged a lot of people, and they've charged them with a lot of offenses. However, we still have teens that are going to schools with our teens, and they are terrified," said Kristine Brennan, a parent.
Parents attended Tuesday's meeting with a message in mind: "Justice for Preston Lord."
"I got twin boys. They don't want to go anywhere right now because there are still people on the streets," said Scott Myers, another parent.
Those parents have now decided to take a different approach to get their voices heard. They posted to social media an 'urgent call to action,' demanding the immediate resignations of local leaders. One of them is Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg.
"I think he should be held accountable for all these cases that should have been dealt with a long time ago," said Myers.
"We need a chief in there that's going to not just talk, but we need to see action. These kids need to be arrested. When you've turned in videos, when you've turned in names... we've given them everything they need. What is the problem?" asked Brennan.
Police Chief Soelberg was not at the council meeting, but the assistant chief was. He made a point to mention their latest arrest and thank the community for continuing to provide them with valuable information.
"This new evidence pertains to an assault that took place in September 2023. It was previously unreported to the Gilbert Police Department. In this new case today, a female juvenile was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery, assault and disorderly conduct," said Asst. Chief Jim Bisceglie.
Gilbert PD said, in all, they've made dozens of teen violence arrests. ABC15 reached out for comment on the calls for the chief's resignation but did not hear back from the department.
The group of parents also called for the resignation of the Gilbert mayor.
Overall, parents are hoping more is done moving forward.
Have a news tip related to teen violence in the Valley? Email us at teenviolence@abc15.com
See the latest ABC15 coverage on the developments of the string of incidents here.
