Officials detain 65 after Arizona prom party

DEWEY, AZ - Deputies detained 65 people following an "after prom" party in the desert outside a central Arizona town early Sunday morning.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office says deputies were called to an area 6 miles from Highway 69 on Iron King Road, south of Dewey around 3:45 a.m. for reports of a medical emergency involving a male found lying unresponsive in the roadway.

Callers also reported several fights in the area.

As deputies began arriving they found a "very large 'after prom' party" that involved a number of high school-aged students.

Deputies learned that many of the participants had been drinking alcoholic beverages and were trying to drive out. Some of the participants parked their vehicles and fled into the desert as deputies began to arrive.

Officials say deputies estimate there were well over 150 people at the party.

The male victim was treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital in an extremely intoxicated state and eventually released, officials said.

Deputies, with help from the Prescott Valley Police Department and Department of Public Safety were on scene throughout the early morning hours to investigate the incident.

Officials said those detained were all under the age of 21 and some were as young as 15. Deputies wrote 34 citations, mainly for underage alcohol consumption violations.

No one under the age of 18 was allowed to leave until a responsible adult had been notified to provide transportation.

Officials said further citations involving littering and property damage are likely.

Deputies learned the party had been planned far in advance and involved students from most area high schools. Invitations were sent out on Facebook and coded "Project X," referring to a movie recently released portraying a high school party out of control.