An MS-13 gang member known as “Little Devil” or “Diablita” has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after she led a group of men into a Long Island park where they were brutally hacked to death with machetes. Leniz Escobar, aged 24, received her sentencing from Judge Joseph Bianco for her involvement in the 2017 murders of Justin Llivicura, 16, Michael Lopez, 20, Jorge Tigre, 18, and Jefferson Villalobos, 18.
The incident took place on the night of April 11, 2017, when Escobar and her accomplice, Keyli Gomez, drove the victims and another man, Elmer Alexander Arteaga Ruiz, 22, to a wooded area in Central Islip Park. They then informed gang members of their whereabouts, leading to a vicious attack by multiple MS-13 members using machetes, knives, an axe, and wooden clubs.
Ruiz, the sole survivor who managed to escape, testified that the gang members, with their faces covered, instructed the victims to kneel and warned them not to move under the threat of death. The violent episode unfolded after Escobar and Gomez discovered social media posts of two victims wearing gang-related items and making hand signs, wrongly implying they were members of MS-13.
Despite the victims’ posts being intended to impress girls and not indicative of gang affiliation, the MS-13 members confirmed they were not part of the gang and subsequently targeted them for execution. After the killings, Escobar exhibited a callous attitude, reportedly relishing the murders and detailing her involvement to other gang members.
Escobar’s actions included disposing of incriminating evidence, destroying a victim’s blood-stained sweatshirt, discarding her phone during a police chase, and providing a false alibi. Following a four-week trial, she was convicted in April 2022 on various charges including murder, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and racketeering-related offenses.
In reaction to Escobar’s sentencing, Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner Robert Waring expressed that her involvement in leading the victims to their deaths would not go unpunished. Over a dozen individuals linked to MS-13 have been charged in connection with the 2017 murders, with Escobar marking the fifth individual to receive a sentence. Gomez had previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the crime and testified in Escobar’s trial.
Originating in Central America, MS-13 has expanded its presence, particularly in the US, amassing thousands of members. Described as one of the most violent criminal gangs in Long Island by prosecutors, MS-13 continues to pose a significant threat to communities.