Gang Member Convicted Of Murdering Long Island Woman, Toddler 'In Cold Blood'
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An MS-13 gang member could spend the rest of his life behind bars after a jury convicted him Monday of killing a Long Island woman and her toddler son.
The jury found Adalberto Ariel Guzman, 21, guilty of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and firearms offenses. He will be sentenced Jan. 9.
"Guzman and his co-conspirators shot a young mother and her toddler in cold blood," U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement.
Lynch said 19-year-old Vanessa Argueta was shot execution style in 2010 because she had allegedly shown disrespect to the MS-13 gang. Her 2-year-old son was killed simply because he was with her at the time, authorities say.
"Few other acts illustrate so clearly the heartless nature of this criminal enterprise known as MS-13," Lynch said.
Police found the bodies of Argueta and the boy, Diego Torres, in woods in Central Islip.
Trial testimony showed Guzman, who had two co-conspirators, fired the fatal shot. The three men fled to El Salvador after the killings but were later arrested.
Heriberto Martinez was convicted in March. Rene Mendez Mejia pleaded guilty in June 2011 to the murders.
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