Police are no match for the teenage punks that control Gilbert

To a casual observer, Gilbert is an all-American town.

Handsome homes. Manicured lawns. Parks. Playgrounds. Excellent schools. Restaurants. Golf courses. Even man-made lakes. A picture-perfect vision of suburban Arizona.

Sort of like Haddonfield, Ill., in the “Halloween” movies. Or Derry, Maine, in “It.” Or Crystal Lake, N.J., in “Friday the 13th.”

Except for one thing: The suburban horror show going on in Gilbert’s Morrison Ranch area, a master planned community on the eastern edge of town, is real.

And it doesn’t feature ghoulish villains like Michael Myers, Pennywise the clown or Jason. The predatory criminals in this story are … boys. Delinquents. Punks.

For whom the police in Gilbert seem to be no match.

Morrison Ranch teens, 'Gilbert Goons' wreak havoc

An article by The Arizona Republic’s Maritza Dominquez and Christina Avery described an ongoing crime spree perpetrated by entitled teens that has involved intimidation, harassment of girls, vandalism and assaults using gel pellets and airsoft guns.

The spree also involved a series of explosive fireworks incidents that, not long ago, burned down a barn-style guest house with three cars, gym equipment, craft supplies, family keepsakes and more in it that was estimated at $1 million.

One woman, Stephanie Lundell, who said her daughter was harassed by the boys, said, “They feel like sharks circling you. It’s scary. It’s very intimidating.”

And it’s not like Gilbert is without trouble already.

This is home to the hybrid street gang of mostly white, upper-middle-class teenagers known as the “Gilbert Goons.” They ruthlessly attacked other teens and posted photos and videos of their attacks on social media.

Seven of them were charged in connection with the death of Preston Lord.

'The cops don't even do anything'

It took authorities in Gilbert way too long to move against the Goons. And now residents of Morrison Ranch are saying the crimes in their neighborhoods haven’t gotten the kind of police response they hope for.

Although two boys were arrested on suspicion of arson and endangerment in the barn fire incident, residents believe there are many more troublemakers that should be dealt with.

The Gilbert Goons problem:Is much wider than you think

The manager of a local McDonald’s said police have responded dozens of times to incidents at his restaurant.

He said, “The cops don’t even do anything. They talk to them, and they’ll be buddy-buddy with them … and tell them to go.” Adding that once police leave, the boys return.

Gilbert's nice fences won't protect residents

Gilbert police said in a statement they were aware of the problem and pointed to ongoing efforts “to find solutions to various issues related to juvenile activity.”

For now, however, impacted residents of Morrison Ranch believe it’s the punks who are in control, not the police.

Still, to a casual observer, Gilbert is an all-American town. The perfect suburban retreat. And I’m sure it is for a lot of residents.

But in certain parts of the city, it’s like the poet Anne Sexton said, “One can’t build little white picket fences to keep the nightmares out.”

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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