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.
Iranian missiles could have hit DC from Venezuela before Trump move, Burgum warns
White House unleashes on Raskin for clinging to ‘deranged’ Jack Smith ‘lies’ in latest Trump docs flare-up
Keir Starmer-Nigel Farage blow-up in Parliament ends with Reform MPs storming out
CNN’s ‘Embarrassing’ On-Air ‘Experiment’ Is Not Going Over Well
Trump Says Iranian Leaders ‘Did Something That Was Amazing,’ Sent Him a ‘Very Big Present’
Biden political priorities impeded Iran negotiations, former secretary of state admits
Machado tells US oil giants Venezuela will become beacon of wealth creation after Trump ousted Maduro
Danish PM Frederiksen resigns after lackluster election for Social Democrats, Moderates seek to wield power
Why CPAC has a golden opportunity to reestablish itself as the ‘go-to conservative conference’
Newsom’s Social Media Team Freaks, Glowingly Compares Candidate to ‘American Psycho’ Who Used Acid to Mutilate Woman
Illinois Gov Pritzker admits ‘real failures’ as slain Chicago student’s hometown pays tribute in lights
LA model and influencer charged with using dating apps to burglarize homes of elderly, wealthy victims
Israel funds front websites in attempt to push ChatGPT into promoting pro-war messaging
Chicago Mayor Who Said ‘We Cannot Jail Our Way Out of Violent Crime’ Proves We Can As Student Allegedly Murdered by Criminal Illegal
SEE IT: Travelers sound off as ICE agents deployed to airports as shutdown drags past 40 days
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.
