The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) has indicted Christopher Fantastic, 18, for a 2023 East Valley juvenile violence incident.
The Terrifying Aftermath
Arizona towns have faced a rise in teen violence for months. One such episode in the Far East Valley was fatal, setting the stage for the horrific events that followed.
Fantastic was indicted for aggravated robbery and violence, both felonies. Fantastic is accused of viciously attacking a victim at a Gilbert fast-food restaurant on August 18, 2023, even after they were down. Fantastic is linked to another Mesa violence event in the indictment, highlighting the region’s rising juvenile violence.
Fantastic struck a victim on the ground in Gilbert on August 18, 2023, according to the indictment. On December 22, 2023, Gilbert Police published low-resolution images of a group altercation at Williams Field Road and Market Street.
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A Family Shattered by Teen Violence
The attack damaged the victim’s kidneys and took his Nike sneakers, according to his father, Richard Kuehner. The victim’s parents described the aftermath as a tidal wave, describing the emotional toll.
After the trauma, Kuehner pulled his kid from school and sent him abroad to live with his mother. After the brutal assault, the family struggled to recover emotionally. Fantastic and three others were detained for the Gilbert assault. Two minors and 18-year-old Aris Arredondo were involved in the horrific events of that fatal night.
The East Valley is on edge as the judicial process progresses following a violent surge that shook towns and devastated families.