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MS-13 massacre verdict
Leniz Escobar, who went by the name "Diablita" or "little devil" on social media, was found guilty of luring a group of young men to a wooded area in Central Islip in 2017 where members of the MS-13 gang beat and hacked them to death.
NEW YORK - Leniz Escobar, who went by the same "Diablita" or "little devil" on social media, was found guilty on all counts on Monday for luring a group of young men to a wooded area in Central Islip where more than a dozen members of the MS-13 gang beat and hacked them to death with machetes, knives, and tree limbs.
She was also found guilty of obstructing the investigation into the murders by destroying evidence, warning people to flee, and lying to police.
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The jury's guilty verdict came five years to the day after the murders.
During the federal trial, prosecutors argued that Escobar showed a complete disregard for human life. Escobar, who was 17 at the time, had told the group they were meeting to smoke marijuana, according to federal prosecutors.
She had convinced the vicious MS-13 street gang that the victims were members of a rival gang or had disrespected MS-13 on social media, the feds said. The victims' families have denied that the men were in a gang.
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La Diablita convicted in MS-13 murders
Leniz Escobar was found guilty on all counts Monday for luring a group of young men to a wooded area in Central Islip in 2017 where they were beaten and hacked to death by MS-13 members.
Several of the members cut deals with the government to testify against Escobar during the trial.
Alexander Ruiz, the only one who managed to escape by running for his life, told the jury that members of MS-13 covered their faces with sweatshirts and ordered them to get down on the ground, threatening to kill anyone who moved.
Text messages entered as evidence by the defense attempted to question Ruiz's credibility.
Escobar was tried as an adult. She pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and racketeering.
Prosecutors argued recorded jail phone calls between Escobar and her then-boyfriend, a high-ranking member of the gang, were essentially coded confessions. They said Escobar lied and portrayed herself as a victim when she actually bragged to her boyfriend about her important role in the murders.
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MS-13 trial on Long Island
Leniz Escobar is in trial in federal court in connection with her alleged role in the brutal murders of four young men back in 2017. She maintains her innocence, her lawyer said.
Escobar's boyfriend at the time testified she helped bring the young men to the park.
She also allegedly discarded bloody clothes she wore the night of the murders and tossed her cellphone from a moving car so law enforcement couldn't recover its contents.
After carefully reviewing other evidence including a weapon used during the deaths, the jury reached a verdict after less than four hours of deliberating.
Escobar's family members were in the courtroom and quietly sobbed as the verdict was read. Her defense attorney argued Escobar wasn't an associate. He said he is considering an appeal.
"She took the verdict as well as a person could," Jesse Siegel said. "She understands the serious consequences. We're disappointed but we do appreciate the time and effort by the jury."
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MS-13 arrests deal blow to gang leadership on Long Island
Authorities said Friday they have dealt an unprecedented blow to the violent MS-13 street gang, announcing charges against nearly 100 of the group's members and associates on Long Island.
No family members of the victims were in court today.
Escobar faces up to life in prison when sentenced in September.
MS-13, also known as La Mara Salvatrucha, recruits young teenagers from El Salvador and Honduras, though many gang members were born in the U.S. The gang has been blamed for dozens of killings since January 2016 across a wide swath of Long Island.
Prosecutors hope the verdict sends a message that those who associate with the gang will be held accountable for their involvement.
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MS-13 investigations
Jose Quintanilla Cruz, 23, is the second suspect arrested in connection with the suspected MS-13 murder of a 21-year-old last month whose remains were found in a wooded area not far from a private school in East Meadow, investigators said. Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick with Nassau County's Homicide Squad said cops are on the offensive and MS-13 is on the run.