OAKLAND GARDENS, Queens — Alleged MS-13 gang members were indicted Thursday for the 2017 stabbing death of a teen whose body was found in a Queens park.
Julio Vasquez, 16, was stabbed more than 20 times in the back and six times in the chest, police sources said at the time. A birdwatcher found his decomposed remains in Alley Pond Park.
Melvi Amador-Rios, Josue Leiva and Luis Rivas were hit with an 18-court indictment in federal court in Queens. Charges include murder, racketeering, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, robberies and firearms charges. Amador-Rios, 28, is the alleged leader of the Centrales Locos Salvatruchas (CLS) clique of MS-13. Leiva, 22, and Rivas, 24, are accused members of CLS.
Vasquez was allegedly a member of MS-13. Sources said Vasquez had a tattoo affirming his affiliation. He was killed because he refused to carry out a lethal order, United States Attorney Richard Donoghue said.
“The mindless violence embodied by MS-13 presents extreme danger to our communities and underscores the resolve of this office, together with our law enforcement partners, to eradicate the gang,” Donoghue said.
