GILBERT, Ariz. — Jeni Jones' red barn in the backyard of her home in east Gilbert will never be the same after it went up in flames on the night of July 3. She and her family lost collectibles, cars, and mementos in the fire. Fortunately, her daughters and their friends were unharmed despite being inside the barn when a firework ignited the blaze.
Gilbert Police arrested two teens, both 15 years old, for arson, endangerment, and causing criminal damage. Both teens appeared in juvenile court in the last week and were advised of their charges. Neither teen is in jail as the juvenile commissioner has allowed them to remain with their parents as the court process plays out.
The incident has left her wondering where the parents of these teen boys are.
“The parents aren't going to understand because it hasn't happened to them, and they won't unless it does happen to them," Jones said.
In the last month, Jones has connected with several other Gilbert parents who shared similar experiences: Their homes became the target of firework-throwing teenagers. Of the over half a dozen parents she's spoken with, some want to share their stories and some don't. One who wants to call attention to this pattern of criminal behavior is Leann Slade.
Slade's home was targeted by firework-throwing teenagers on November 21, 2023. She captured a video of several of them riding in front of her home on street bikes and in the bed of a truck before a "mortar" like firework was hurled onto her front lawn.
“I was kind of really shocked, actually that they threw someone from the bed of the truck, chucked a mortar, a firework, and it hit the grass,” Slade said.
Gilbert police say the incident outside of Slade's home is not an arson investigation, but does remain active as they work to identify who is responsible.
When Slade saw what happened to the Jones' barn she felt compelled to reach out and say she was not alone, while also feeling pulled to call out the similarities in what happened to both families.
“I feel like it's important to show the pattern of behavior, and that these kids are acquainted with that exact explosive and that the Jones family that was, like, so terrible and so awful that it did that much damage, and thank goodness everyone got out," Slade said.
The Gilbert mom duo are told there are other active investigations into this group of young boys, all mostly freshmen and sophomores in high school. They allege these investigations go much deeper than just firework-throwing incidents.
“We have been able to link the two boys that were here to the other crimes. And we're not just talking about only the fireworks being thrown. This is a big problem in Gilbert, and I'm not going to let it get swept under the rug," Jones said.
Several Gilbert parents are planning on attending Tuesday night's Gilbert Town Council meeting to spotlight this issue even more.
The two boys charged in the barn fire have hearings on September 16 and 23 to determine if they will be tried in adult court. Until then, they will remain in juvenile court.
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