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.
Ghost in the gallery: George Washington looks on as King Charles addresses Congress
Dem and GOP lawmakers trade blame over rhetoric after WHCD shooting: ‘It is disgusting’
Dem plot to limit Trump war powers on Cuba fails as GOP falls in line with military action abroad
Five key themes of King Charles III’s address to Congress
Starmer escapes inquiry on Mandelson vetting by a Parliament vote
Tim Walz Shamed After Trying to Take Credit for Federal Raids on Somali-Owned Minnesota Businesses
ABC Not Firing Jimmy Kimmel After Melania ‘Widow’ Comments Feels Like Network Flipping Off Millions
Influencer’s body returns home after safari getaway as missing ring and fiancé questions cloud case: report
Melania Trump, Queen Camilla team up at White House youth event spotlighting US-UK bond
Body camera video shows police officer allegedly kidnapped by armed robbery suspect in roadside showdown
WATCH: Ilhan Omar roasted for brutal resurfaced video about ‘World War Eleven’
Trump Says Iran Just Alerted Him That They Are in ‘A State of Collapse’
Melania Trump and Queen Camilla tour technology-in-education event at the White House
FCC Takes ‘Unprecedented’ Action Against Disney in Response to Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania Trump Comment: Report
Emmer says MN fraud raids send ‘crystal clear’ message after feds hit dozens of sites
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.
