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.
Top 5 moments: Noem clashes with Dems in fiery hearing as drones, deportations erupt into flashpoints
See the Biden-era ‘DEI’ coins Bessent scrapped as Trump team restores patriotic 250th designs
Video: Charlie Kirk Assassination Suspect Tyler Robinson Smiles and Laughs as He Makes First Court Appearance
13 House Republicans Side with Democrats, Vote to Overturn Trump Executive Order
Twice-deported Honduran accused of stabbing passenger on Charlotte light rail faces federal charges
US set to seize tens of millions in Venezuelan oil after tanker interception, White House says
Leavitt accuses CNN reporter of trying to ‘push narratives’ during heated White House exchange
New York to spend millions helping people cope with ‘collective trauma’
Alleged gang hit man captured after yearslong manhunt for 3 separate murders in Philadelphia: ‘The very worst’
Dueling healthcare bills rejected by Senate as Obamacare subsidies set to expire
Bulgarian government toppled by citizens over claims of corruption, embezzlement
Dem rep opens House hearing by telling Noem to resign in fiery statement
BREAKING: Kilmar Abrego Garcia Released by Obama Judge – Freed Despite MS-13, Trafficking, and Wife-Beating Allegations
Republican rift puts spotlight on high-stakes showdown over Trump-driven red state redistricting
Dem Lawmaker Admits ‘I Don’t Feel Good About Being White Every Day,’ Wants to Drag Kids Down with Her
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.
