A 17-year-old MS-13 gang member will serve 50 years in prison for his involvement in the murder of a 14-year-old girl in Maryland last April.
Josue Fuentes-Ponce pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to charges of first-degree murder, participating in the crime as part of a criminal gang, and conspiracy to commit murder, according to NBC Washington.
Prosecutors said gang members lured Ariana Funes-Diaz into a tunnel in Riverdale, Md., where they beat her to death with a machete and baseball bat on April 18, the outlet reported.
“These individuals had demonstrated violent criminal behavior before, and because they were released in spite of the lawful detainer, they were afforded an opportunity to take a life.” ICE Baltimore Field Office Director Diane Witte previously said in the statement, according to Fox News.
Investigators say Fuentes-Ponce and three other gang members attack the victim to prevent her from informing police about a robbery they had taken part in a day prior.
Trump admin revives ‘Apprentice’-era energy with $1M business battle in DC
El-Sayed torched online after brushing off questions about Hasan Piker campaign ties: ‘What a pal’
Kalshi bans George Santos for life over State of the Union price manipulations
Rahm Emanuel Disavows Far-Left Socialists, Says They’re Not ‘Part of the Democratic Party’
Gunman ID’d in Slaughter of 8 Family Members at Sunday Dinner As Disturbing Motive Comes Into Focus
Eurosceptics laud Iceland’s rejection of EU referendum: ‘Another Europe is possible’
What happens when robotaxis meet motorcades in DC? The mother of all traffic jams, says AI expert
New federal grand jury subpoena issued to former James Comey advisor in leak investigation: sources
Federal Appeals Court Rejects NJ Dem. Rep. McIver’s Request to Drop ICE Assault Charges
New Fauci Docs Prove He Repeatedly Told People to Delete Emails He Sent Them
FIRST ON FOX: Texas becomes testing ground for new defense against attacks on America’s water systems
Death toll from Nepal floods tops 900
Bernie Sanders says top Democrats aren’t enthusiastic enough about el Sayed to win Michigan
Newark airport shuttle bus slams into concrete barrier, injuring 13
Deadly Grand Canyon flooding knocks out critical water line amid race to find missing hikers
Fuentes-Ponce reportedly used a machete during the attack that was so violent, police needed to use a tattoo on her right hand to identify her body, according to NBC Washington.
Her family reported her missing before she was found floating in a creek last May — nearly a month after she was killed — the outlet said.
Co-defendant Joel Escobar pleaded guilty in November and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 26. A separate trial is scheduled for co-defendant Edwin Rios, 19 in April. The attorney for Feuntes-Ponce asked for leniency, according to the Washington Post, and said at the time of the incident, he had a cognitive level of a 9-year-old.
The charges against the final member, a 14-year-old girl, were handled in juvenile court, the outlet said.
Story cited here.
