PHOENIX — Arizona lawmakers have passed Preston’s Law, a bill named for the 16-year-old San Tan Valley boy who was killed by a group of teens at a party in 2023.
Legislators in the House gave final approval Tuesday to House Bill 2611, voting 35-19 to send the measure to Gov. Katie Hobbs.
“I think if he were here, he’d be proud to know that this wouldn’t happen to anyone else again, if this law can be passed with the stiffer penalties,” his mother, Autumn Curiel, said after the vote.
HB 2611 would upgrade assault to aggravated assault if the attacker has two or more accomplices and the victim is physically injured. The offense would also be a Class 4 felony.
“It strengthens penalties for those who commit violent crime in groups – not to punish indiscriminately, but to deter calculated, organized brutality,” said state Rep. Matt Gress, the bill sponsor on the House floor during the vote.
Curiel watched the vote from the House gallery along with Preston Lord’s stepmother, Melissa Ciconte.
“So this bill speaks volumes to finding justice for victims of these type of crimes or assaults, and we’re ecstatic,” Ciconte said. “We’re a little teary-eyed, but we’re just proud.”
Lord was attacked while leaving a Halloween party in October 2023, according to police. Seven teenagers have been charged in connection with Lord’s slaying. One suspect, William Owen Hines, was sentenced last week to 17 years in prison for Lord’s death and an unrelated assault case.
The case drew attention to teen violence in the East Valley, where other teenagers had been attacked by a group of teens for more than a year.
“It’s just really important, you know, to know that he wasn’t able to fight back, and this is our way of being able to give back for him,” Curiel said.
Lord’s family is urging Hobbs to sign the bill, saying they hope the tougher penalties can deter such mob-style attacks in the future.
“We hope that this also helps families dealing with those types of senseless violence that does not need to go on in the community,” Ciconte said.
Gress, briefly left the House floor after the vote to talk with Ciconte and Curiel.
“We did it,” he told them.
“Thank you for your bravery, your persistence,” he told Curiel as she fought tears. “We’re going to make sure this gets signed into law. It needs to be.”
