The parents of an Arizona teenager who was beaten to death at a Halloween party have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against seven individuals suspected of participating in the assault.
According to The Huffington Post, 16-year-old Preston Lord died at the hospital on October 28 after being attacked at the Queen Creek home of Roberto and Emily Correa. Lord’s death was ruled a homicide, with police later filing charges against seven young suspects.
The complaint names the Correas as co-defendants, alleging that they are liable for the conduct of the estimated 200 people who attended their party—many of whom were minors.
Attorneys for Lord’s parents say that Correas’ party was advertised on social media pages as a local “Halloween rager” with an open invitation. Alcohol was served on-site, but the lawsuit alleges that the Correas did not actively or adequately supervise young guests.
Police received a non-emergency call or complaint about the party around 9pm on October 28, and observed a large number of young people leaving the premises.
The officers were diverted to a higher-priority call, but returned to the home less than an hour later—where they found Lord lying in the road with critical injuries. He was taken to the hospital and died two days later.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Lord and a friend had been involved in an altercation after they attempted to reclaim a gold chain that had been taken or stolen from another of their friends.
The lawsuit suggests that, sometime after the initial altercation, the seven suspects—all of whom were intoxicated—chased Lord and his friends into the road, where they restrained Lord and repeatedly struck him until he became unconscious.
One of the suspects, 17-year-old Tanner Renner, purportedly had a history of violence, including an alleged assault on another resident at a “treatment center” in Utah.
Renner’s parents are named in the lawsuit, with attorneys saying that they should have known about “their son’s propensity to engage in violence and inflict physical harm upon others.”
Earlier police reports indicate that Renner’s father played an active role in shielding his son from law enforcement investigations—both by taking the 17-year-old to a cabin three hours outside of Queen Creek, and by instructing him to stay out of town until his hands healed.
Bryn DeFusco, a lawyer representing the Lord family, said that her clients are seeking “justice and accountability for all those who contributed to Preston’s death.”
“This lawsuit brings them one step closer to achieving that goal,” DeFusco said. “They are grateful for the community support and are determined to see this through to the end.”
Sources
Parents Of 16-Year-Old Allegedly Beaten To Death Over Gold Chain File Lawsuit
Preston Lord’s family files wrongful death lawsuit against 7 suspects, parents
Join the conversation!