Photo: United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York
Leniz Escobar, a 24-year-old woman associated with the MS-13 gang, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Tuesday (October 1) for her role in the brutal murder of four young men in a Long Island park in 2017. The victims, aged 16 to 20, were lured into the park under the pretense of smoking marijuana, only to be ambushed and killed by MS-13 gang members armed with machetes, knives, an axe, and clubs. One of the five men managed to escape.
Escobar, also known as "La Diablita" or "Little Devil," was convicted in April 2022 of one count of racketeering and four counts of murder in aid of racketeering. Prosecutors stated that the victims were targeted because MS-13 members believed they were part of a rival gang, based on photos posted on social media.
In court, Escobar expressed remorse for her actions, stating, "All I can do is hurt. Every breath reminds me that they are not here and their families are in pain. If I could trade places with them and take away that pain, I would." However, the victims' families were unmoved by her words, with one mother stating that Escobar deserved the death penalty.
More than a dozen MS-13 gang members and associates have been charged in connection with the attack, with Escobar being the fifth to be sentenced.