PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. — An alleged member of the "Gilbert Goons" has been sentenced for his part in an attack on a teen at a park in Pinal County.
On Monday, Jacob Pennington, 20, was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and 120 days deferred jail time after a guilty plea to aggravated assault earlier this year in connection to the November 2023 incident, which was caught on camera.
Previous reporting: Suspects charged with beating teenager in Pinal County assault caught on camera enter not guilty pleas
According to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, the video shows the then 16-year-old victim trying to back away from Pennington who continued to go after him. Court documents claim Pennington hit the victim several times in the face.
During Monday's hearing, the victim's mother testified and described the incident in further detail, saying the attack on her son was unprovoked.
“This attack was completely unprovoked, it appears as though the only motivation was an appetite for violence,” the mother said.
According to the mother, her son was attacked by a mob of people led by Pennington.
"Imagine the terror our son experienced as he tried to reason with someone who had bloodlust in his eyes," the mother said.
The attempt to reason with the group was unsuccessful.
"Our son only backed away with his hands up saying ‘I’m sorry, I’m just trying to leave’, these were his attempts at talking down the assault he could feel was imminent," she said. "Imagine the terror he experienced as he surveyed the large group pressing towards him, knowing he was about to be attacked by all of them."
The mother described the physical and emotional trauma suffered by her son as devastating.
“He also whipped our son with his belt, he did all of this while the girls who accompanied the mob circled. They laughed at and mocked our son as he screamed ‘Stop, why are you doing this,’” she said.
She also said her son was called racial slurs by Pennington during the attack.
The mother also said her family was in fear following the attack saying the family installed a high-end security system for protection.
"The context of this assault matters. Jacob and his associates had a well-known track record of terrorizing those who pushed back on them. This was of the utmost concern to our family as we fought to bring about justice in the weeks and months following the attack," the mother said.
Pennington is also scheduled to be sentenced for his part in a separate attack in Maricopa County later this week.
That assault happened in an In-N-Out in Gilbert in December 2022.
Back in May, Pennington pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for the attack. The victim told police that brass knuckles were used in the assault.
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Pennington's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
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