Murder trial of MS-13's Leniz "Little Devil" Escobar begins on Long Island
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. -- Prosecutors say Leniz Escobar lured five young men into a wooded area, where they were ambushed by MS-13 gang members, nearly five years ago.
On Monday, the only victim who managed to escape testified about the horror that unfolded that night, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported.
In April of 2017, cold-blooded gang murders made Central Islip synonymous with MS-13. Four young men were killed in a bloodbath in a park near a ballfield. Their deaths shone a national spotlight on Long Island gang violence and drew the attention of former President Donald Trump and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Now, nearly five years later, the trial begins for one
Escobar, nicknamed "Little Devil, is accused of luring the victims to a community park, allegedly to smoke marijuana.
Instead, Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre and Jefferson Villalobos were allegedly slashed and hacked to death by more than a dozen MS-13 members, some as young as 15 years old.
Prosecutors say the motive was the victims had disrespected the notorious gang on social media.
Families of the dead young men were in court and wept at the gruesome details. They said they loved and deeply miss their sons.
Among the first to testify was Alexander, the only victim to escape the carnage.
"The full moon was beautiful that night. We were smoking marijuana," he said.
He said out of nowhere he and his friends were suddenly surrounded by MS-13 members.
"Everyone down on the ground. So we go down on our knees. Nobody move. They said we were going to die. They had machetes. I ran and ran. Thank God I was able to escape," Ruiz said.
A detective was first on the scene to uncover the carnage. The crime took place seven months after another disturbing high-profile case in nearby Brentwood. Young teens Kayla Cueves and Nisa Mickens were allegedly killed by MS-13. The accused is in custody.
This trial is expected to take several weeks. Escobar was 17 at the time of the killings. Prosecutors say her motivation was to improve her standing in the gang, which she denies. Others have plead guilty in the case.
Defense attorney Jesse Siegel said Escobar maintains her innocence and pled not guilty.