"The deck was stacked against me. The trio had been tortured, stabbed and shot in a Central Islip home before their home was set on fire to cover up the crime, prosecutors said. 480. One shouted behind me, 'Hack him!' He was held overnight at the Fourth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Monday. The motive, prosecutors said, was payback. The bodies of two women and a man were found by crew responding to a house fire on Hickory Street in Central Islip. Police are also investigating a home burglary on the same day in Islip. Central Islip Crime Data total Crime Index 24 (100 is safest) Safer than 24% of U.S. neighborhoods. One of them, Jorge Portillo, who was just 15 at the time of the killing spree,pleaded guilty to charges of murder, racketeering and conspiracy in 2019. One got away.". A fifth intended victim who fled the scene testified at the trial. The victims, who believed they were meeting her to smoke marijuana in a local park, were caught in a trap and attacked by the savage gangsters in what federal prosecutors called a horrific frenzy of violence.. Inside the Keukenhof gardens, take plenty of time to admire this beautiful and internationally renowned . Their mangled bodieswere found nearby the next day. I already know that. It has since grown into a global criminal enterprise with a stronghold on Long Island. The anger and grief of three murder victims' families filled a Suffolk County courtroom as two Central Islip men, convicted in the 2009 killings, were sentenced Wednesday to spend the rest of their lives behind bars. A man was driving while intoxicated when he crashed, seriously injuring the 20-year-old passenger, police said. With todays verdict, Escobar has been held responsible for the crucial role that she willingly played in orchestrating one of the most vicious and senseless mass murders in the district in memory, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a press release. A "dangerous sexual predator" who terrorized Long Island's South Shore with rapes and burglaries in the 1980s has died in prison at age 60. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Singletary. The store was ordered by the Suffolk County Supreme Court in late March to "immediately cease any operations that are a violation of the Town of Islip Code." Pet sloths are currently legal in New . Amador: Why do you say that youre not so good. Prosecutors say Leniz Escobar was an associate of MS-13, who provoked the murders and helped gang members carry them out. Visiting Circuit Court Judge Joseph Bianco said that while Sanchez had accepted responsibility for his role in the killings, he had other factors to consider in sentencing him, including the harm caused by the crime. Who Makes The Best Margarita on Long Island? [emailprotected]. The jury should not rely on the witnesses that the government put forward, meaning these cooperating witnesses who are all extremely bad people who are testifying pursuant to cooperation agreements,he said as he left the courthouse last week. 2,339. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. The Long Island woman dubbedMS-13s Little Devilwas convicted Monday of federal murder and racketeering charges for luring four young men into a deadly ambush at the hands of the notoriously vicious gang. Thomas Singletary, 36, was sentenced to 104 years to life in prison. 34,724. Crime; be Well; EXCLUSIVE: Notice of claim filed against Central Islip School District over alleged misconduct, bullying . WYANDANCH, NY A 32-year-old Wyandanch man killed on Wednesday morning is the fourth shooting victim in a matter of days on Long Island, police said. Before the murders, Calixto and Katrice Daniels, who was Vaughan's girlfriend, burglarized Vaughan's home, taking a laptop computer, jewelry and possibly drugs. "I am not responsible for their deaths.". administrators at the school but were ignored. Browse New Local Jobs, General Mills Gold Medal Flour Recalled In NY Over Salmonella Risk. They had weapons machetes. Eight or nine covered their faces with sweaters, told us to get down on our knees. Two men, 51 and 25, were killed early Saturday in separate crashes in Islip, according to state police. Escobar: Because the person that missed the train spilled the beans, and I, well. The mothers of Tigre and Lopez gave victim impact statements at the sentencing, each sobbing as the other spoke. going to jump her. Homicide Squad detectives are investigating, a police spokeswoman said. Escobar: The person that missed the train spilled the beans. I jumped a fence and stone wall, ran for my life. Two men are dead after a car crashed into an oil tanker truck in Islip early Saturday morning, Suffolk County Police said. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. The family A group of MS-13 members. People who live in Central Islip generally consider the east part of the city to be the safest. They were just high school kids, Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Farrell said during opening statements as the trial began late last month. We were soon ambushed by MS-13 gangsters. Sign up for Long Island Press email newslettershere. She acknowledged that Sanchez was similarly left behind in El Salvador before being reunited with his parents years later. Escobars cohorts hacked and beat them to death.. Rahsaan Pressley, 27, was hit by gunfire. All rights reserved, Attacks on Delivery Drivers Add Fears Among Gig Workers, Muslim Mayor From New Jersey Blocked From White House Eid Celebration, Met Gala 2023: Start Time, Theme, Guests & Everything Else to Know, 25-Year-Old Makes $200/Hour Without a Bachelor's Degree: I Work Less Than 6 Hours a Day', Construction May Make Getting to JFK Airport a Nightmare for 3 Years: What to Know, New (Itchy) COVID Symptom Reported as Arcturus' Fuels NY Area Spread. she's going through?" Central Islip, NY. This story has been shared 341,355 times. The 34-year-old was stabbed by another man early Tuesday morning, police say. "I CI Student Says She Couldn't Go On Field Trip Because She Is Black, Man Indicted After Zip Tying Central Islip Family, Stealing $6K: DA, Need An Outfit For Prom? A man and woman reportedly stole about $800 worth of items from an Islip Kohl's, police say. 3 Arrested After 2 Shot Outside LI Lidl: PD; Shopper Horrified, LI Communities To Get $2.1 Million To Combat Gun Violence. But one of them, one of them managed to still be here on the map and he knows stuff about me.. Yes, Amsterdam is a safe city to visit. Prosecutors also played a jailhouse phone call Escobar had with Amador the day after the murders in what appear to be slightly-coded references to the failed five-part homicide. A look at some recent arrests in the area. Homicide detectives are asking anyone with information about the shootings to call 631-852-6392, or Crime Stoppers, a confidential police hotline, at 1-800-220-TIPS. "I hope you rot in hell," added Charles Holder, stepfather of Katrice and Mykier Daniels, two sisters who were also killed. of claim will likely become a lawsuit against the district seeking $2 million. Kevin Will, 55, used the messaging app Kik to arrange a meeting with a child, according to federal prosecutors. An alleged MS-13 gang associate was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison Thursday for his role in the killing of four young people who were lured into a Central Islip woods in April 2017. Escobar: Right, but he spilled the beans with the cops. Emailus. Timothy Bolger is the Editor in Chief of the Long Island Press whos been working to uncover unreported stories since shortly after it launched in 2003. The 33-year-old Islip Terrace woman was thrown from her car after it struck a tree, police said. The notice Afterward, explore the collection of the National Maritime Museum, one of the largest and most notable maritime collections in the world. "This was not just murder, it was butchery, driven by greed," judge James Hudson said to the convicted killers.. Chief investigative reporter Jonathan Dienst on crime, corruption and terrorism. Gregory Thomas says. Three people were arrested in connection with the shooting in Center Moriches. Police said a 911 caller reported that a person was shot at 1527 Straight Path in Wyandanch at about 11:38 a.m. More than a dozen MS-13 members and associates have been charged in connection with the case. Police set up a crime scene at a park in Central Islip, Long Island, where four mutilated bodies of young men were found on April 13, 2017. Each of the three had been shot to death, one of them also strangled with an electrical cord, authorities say. Escobar faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced by Judge Joseph F. Bianco. We received a trial that was not fair.". He was one of a dozen MS-13 gang members and associates charged in connection with the slayings. Another co-defendant, Leniz "La Diablita" Escobar, was convicted last April and is seeking a new trial. On Saturday at about 11:30 p.m., Danie Philistin, 29, of New Jersey was shot outside of a home in West Babylon. Leniz Escobar, 22, lured a group of five men and boys into Central Islip Park in April 2017. A New York State woman connected with the MS-13 gang was found guilty Monday of four separate murders and racketeering. One shouted behind me, Hack him! Thank God I managed to get away.. A police spokesman said they are all being actively investigated. Banegas described her son, a native of Nicaragua, as the happiness of our household and said Villalobos had recently moved to the area, and went to the park that day because his cousin invited him. Richard Simms, whose 22-year-old son, Edward, was shot to death outside the family's Central Islip home in August 1984, said he had to keep in touch with the police or else the case ''just sits . The gang members surrounded the victims, attacked them, dragged the victims bodies to a more secluded spot, and piled them up, where the remains were found the following day. What is The Best Tex-Mex Restaurant on Long Island? When officers arrived they found Derrick Dixon in the rear lot shot multiple times, police said, adding that he was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip where he was pronounced dead. According With todays verdict, Escobar has been held responsible for the crucial role that she willingly played in orchestrating one of the most vicious and senseless mass murders in the district in memory, Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. They said, Dont move. Both Escobar and Gomez were teenagers at the time of the slayings. Leniz Escobar, 22, along with Keyli Gomez. It is not clear if the shootings are connected. All rights reserved. Apr 27, 2023, 9:47am Updated 3d ago. "He's grasping at straws that aren't there," added juror Bill Tappin. He said he took part in the killings, that Escobar chose the spot where it all went down and that she lured the victims to their deaths. Jeffrey Amador, the defendants then-boyfriend, and reportedly a former high-ranking member of the Los Angeles-based gang also known as La Mara Salvatrucha, testified for the prosecution. Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. So, when its time to sentence Leniz, Judge [Joseph] Bianco has a good idea who she is. Replies (17) Michael Moran will return to his role of principal of Connetquot High School on Monday. I jumped a fence and stone wall, ran for my life. Ringleader Josue Portillo was previously sentenced to 55 years in prison and Freiry Martinez, who helped him plan and orchestrate the attacks, is serving a 50-year sentence. Prosecutors say Leniz Escobar was an associate of MS-13, who provoked the murders and helped gang members carry them out. Vaughan's attorney, William Keahon refused to comment. She faces up to life in prison at her sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 14. Police have not made any arrests in connection with the shootings in West Babylon and Amityville. Her chilling mugshot shows her smirking while giving the camera a cold stare. Two of Mykier Daniel's children, ages 2 and 6, barely escaped the flames. Sign up for discounts by becoming a Long Island Press community partnerhere. Defense attorney Jesse Siegel maintained that his client was at the scene of the massacre but did not know that the victims would be attacked. Sign up for home delivery of Long Island Presshere. New York State Police said the man was speeding on Sunday with a suspended license and had a handgun without a permit. The four victims bodies were found by police piled on top of each other in a wooded area next to the Central Islip Recreation Center on April 12, 2017. His four friends were not so fortunate. He told you how one of the victims had reached for [Escobar] before he was killed and his blood had gotten all over her shirt. Crime & Safety Man Indicted After Zip Tying Central Islip Family, Stealing $6K: DA The man forced himself into the Central Islip residence and pistol whipped a teenager, the DA says. Anderson Sanchez, 23, had pleaded guilty to racketeering in December 2021 for his participation in the killing of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre and Jefferson Villalobos. The vehicle first struck the center median, then veered over into the overpass, state police said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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A reputed MS-13 member who allegedly spent years on the run after participating in the brutal 2017 slayings of four young men in a Central Islip park is now facing federal murder and. Moore-Thomas and her husband Gregory Thomas say they constantly spoke with Anderson Sanchez, an associate of the Leeward Locos Salvatruchas clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Central Islip to racketeering charges in connection with his participation in the April 11, 2017 murders of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre, and Jefferson Villalobos. The first storm which will possibly bring up to 2 feet of snow and rain to . An MS-13 associate known as "Diablita," who lured four unsuspecting men to their deaths in a park on Long Island, was found guilty at trial Monday. A man who was killed and a woman who was seriously injured after an intoxicated teen driver struck them have been identified, police say. Escobar is being tried as an adult in the case. The house went ablaze Friday morning, police say. Escobars indictment can be read in full below: [image via U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York], Have a tip we should know? Yolanda DeJesus promised to visit the men in prison to remind them of what they had taken from her. We have just started what is going to be a three- or four-week trial," defense attorney Jesse Siegel said. "He's a monster, like they said in court.". An alleged MS-13 gang associate was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison Thursday for his role in the killing of four young people who were lured into a Central Islip woods in April 2017 . In the last Safe City Index (2019), Amsterdam ranked fourth position in the list of safest cities in the world. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. It happened at the federal courthouse in Central Islip on Monday. L. to R.: Leniz Ruiz ran for his life, and his four friends were killed. "Do I The vehicles were stolen on two separate dates within one week, police say. It will be etched in my memory, as it will be for everyone after this. Five years to the day of the gruesome incident, Escobar was convicted. took them to the school and nothing was done.". The rate of crime in Central Islip is 15.29 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. Gomez, who pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with the murders, is awaiting sentencing. Police say four teens were hanging out in a wooded area just off . A single mother of six children, Ullaguari brought Tigre to the United States eight years later. "You took my son's life. Alexander Ruiz, 22, says he and his friends were brought into a wooded area of the park by Escobar to smoke marijuana. Amador: Sothe one that missed the train, and the others didnt. Start by cruising through the historic city on a canal cruise and take in views of the 17th-century buildings lining the waterways. "Ms. Escobar maintains her innocence, she's pled not guilty," says defense attorney Jesse Siegel. In her presentencing memo, Farrell said that although Sanchez was 17 at the time of the murders, he played a role in one of the most brutal and horrific crimes committed by the MS-13 on Long Island.. Prosecutors said the Islip Terrace resident and co-conspirator Keyli Gomez, who believed two of the victims disrespected the gang by posting photos online falsely suggesting they were MS-13 members, lured the victims to the woods near the soccer fields at the Central Islip Recreation Center on April 11, 2017. to the family, the teenager threatened to take her own life. Antoinette Two men, 51 and 25, were killed early Saturday in separate crashes in Islip, according to state police. Escobar is charged in the quadruple April 2017 machete attack that left four young friends bludgeoned to death in a Central Islip park. Her clothes from that night were soaked in blood. Sanchez, who said he was not aware of the plans for the attack until they began, apologized to both mothers before being sentenced. have to wait for my daughter to commit suicide for somebody to understand what I want to express my repentance for what I did when I was out there, Sanchez said. First published on March 22, 2022 / 5:45 PM. Teenager injured in Central Islip shooting Suffolk County Police Third Squad detectives are investigating a shooting that injured a teenager in Central Islip on Wednesday, July 13. The members of MS-13 saw these pictures on social media and saw these pictures as a deep sign of disrespect, enough to justify death.. Escobar, who was an associate of the gangs Leeward and Brentwood cliques, later bragged to other MS-13 members about her role in the killings and the FBIs Long Island Gang Task Force recorded phone calls with her boyfriend, a high ranking member of the gang, discussing the attack, according to investigators. Prosecutorssaid during closing arguments Wednesdaythat Escobar, who was 17 at the time, convinced MS-13 members that the victims mocked them by posting pictures throwing gang signs on social media. Chilling and emotional testimony continued Tuesday as the sole survivor of a massacre by the notorious MS-13 gang came face to face with Leniz Escobar, whose social media handle is "La Diablita," meaning "Little Devil.". He told you howshe licked the blood off her lips.. He testified he was among a dozen MS-13 who murdered the victims in cold blood, and that Escobar lured them there. During the massacre, Escobar got on her knees as well, pretending to be one of the intended victims. Escobar's jailed boyfriend is a witness for the prosecution. He wont be happy until everyone is as pissed off as he is about how screwed up Lawn Guyland is. Who Makes The Best Cookies on Long Island? We've received your submission. It happened at the federal courthouse in Central Islip on Monday. After the killings, Escobar allegedly bragged about her role in a phone call that was recorded by law enforcement, telling her boyfriend in code she was happy "four took the train and saw the light. She later disposed of themalong with her cellular phonefrom a moving car in a failed effort to conceal her involvement. She and Keyli Gomez, who has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges and is awaiting sentencing, instigated the ambush after seeing the victims flashing MS-13 gang signs on social media, a judge in the case noted in a June 2018 ruling. As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported, the boyfriend of the defendant, the medical examiner, the detective in charge, and the sole survivor of the heinous brutality all took the stand. The survivor, Elmer Alexander Artiaga-Ruiz, told the jury through an interpreter "La Diablita lured us to a park to smoke marijuana. Four other MS-13 members also accused of carrying out the fatal attack are awaiting trial, while two others have been sentenced to 50 and 55 years in prison. The Suffolk County Police Department is investigating three incidents in the past two weeks in Central Islip, Huntington Station and Greenlawn in which young women were struck by stray bullets . The defendant showed utter disregard for human life by leading the victims into a killing field, to their slaughter, to enhance her stature with her fellow cold-blooded murderers within the MS-13 gang, Peace said. WYANDANCH, NY A 32-year-old Wyandanch man killed on Wednesday morning is the fourth shooting victim in a matter of days on Long Island, police said. A Suffolk County officer ran into a burning Islip home three times, to rescue an elderly woman and her pet parrot, Polly. Copyright 2023 Newsday. The emergency response was part of the airports full-scale emergency disaster exercise. The first thing were going to have to handle is sentencing, which is scheduled for September, and theres a lot of work to be done, Siegel said. Central Islip Annual Crimes Violent Crime Violent Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents) 20 15 10 5 0 2.72 3.13 National Median: 4 Central Islip New York Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime 1 in 367 in Central Islip 1 in 319 I would say that were disappointed, but we do appreciate the time and effort put in by the jury,he said after the verdict Monday. People should not be defined solely for the worst thing they ever do., He said Escobar had an extraordinarily difficult life.. also claims that an assistant principal told them their daughter was in an The victim was taken to the hospital. Billy Moon, 47, of Islip, will be survived by his wife, Kristina, and their two young children. One of the young men managed to escape and lived to tell his story to a federal jury. Four individuals took the train and who knows when theyll be back, got me? Escobar said in what prosecutors described as barely coded language describing the murders.