MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty To Role In 2015 Babylon Murder: Feds

BRENTWOOD, NY —A member of the deadly MS-13 street gang pleaded guilty to the 2015 murder of Cesar Rivera-Vasquez in federal court on Thursday, according to prosecutors.

Reynaldo Lopez-Alvarado, 30, of Brentwood, also known as “Mente,” a member of the Brentwood Locos Salvatruchas clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with his participation in the November 19, 2015 murder of Cesar Rivera-Vasquez, an attempted Bay Shore murder in 2013, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke.

According to court filings and his statements during the plea proceeding, Lopez-Alvarado participated in the April 9, 2013 attempted murder of a man on Benton Place in Bay Shore.

Lopez-Alvarado, who was a new member of the MS-13 at the time, and another MS-13 member went out looking to kill a rival gang member in order to gain full status in the gang.

The two observed a group of men who they assumed were members of the rival Bloods street gang. Lopez-Alvarado and his co-conspirator retrieved a .25 caliber handgun and 20-gauge shotgun, drove back to Benton Place, approached the group of men and opened fire, officials said.

One man was struck and was subsequently transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and survived the shooting, prosecutors said.

About one month later, Lopez-Alvarado conspired to obstruct justice by assisting fellow gang members after they had committed two murders, officials said.

On May 28, 2013, Lopez-Alvarado came to the aid of fellow gang members, who shot and killed Kennan Russell at a house party in Central Islip, prosecutors said.

The minivan they had stolen and — used in not only the Russell murder but also the May 26, 2013 murder of Derrick Mayes — ran out of gas and broke down.

In addition to helping his fellow gang members get gas and hide the firearms used in the Russell murder, Lopez-Alvarado and other MS-13 members — who knew that the minivan had been linked to the murders — agreed to destroy it.

Lopez-Alvarado and his fellow MS-13 gang members then cleaned the minivan to remove any fingerprints, drove it to a wooded area in Ronkonkoma, doused it with gas, and set it on fire, prosecutors said.

“This case is a grim reminder of the inhumane acts individuals are willing to commit just to elevate their status within a gang,” stated SCPD Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison. “Let this guilty plea be a testament of our commitment to hold gang members accountable for their heinous crimes. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure public safety on our streets.”

On November 19, 2015, Lopez-Alvarado and fellow gang members saw Rivera-Vasquez at a deli located near the Babylon Long Island Railroad train station.

They convinced Rivera-Vasquez to leave with them to smoke marijuana, and brought him to an isolated area behind a nearby baseball field.

The gang members, who were armed with knives and a baseball bat, told the victim to take off his shirt, so they could observe a tattoo they believed signified the victim’s membership in the rival gang.

After seeing the tattoo, Lopez-Alvarado and the other MS-13 members attacked Rivera-Vasquez, beating him with the bat and stabbing him repeatedly with knives. One of the gang members then cut hiss throat.

The MS-13 members buried Rivera-Vasquez’s body near a large mound of dirt. The body was discovered in April 2018, officials said.

“In a twisted desire to enhance his status within the MS-13 gang and without any regard for human life, the defendant admittedly participated in extremely violent crimes, including murder and a shooting,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Lopez-Alvarado faces very serious consequences for his senseless actions, which I hope will be of some relief to the community, including the family and friends of his victims. This Office, together with the Long Island Gang Task Force, is working tirelessly to bring MS-13 gang members to justice for the havoc they have wrought on Long Island.”

When sentenced, Lopez-Alvarado faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Several other MS-13 members have also since been convicted of Rivera-Vasquez's murder.

MS-13's presence has existed on Long Island for more than two decades and has roots in Los Angeles and Central America. Between January 2016 and July 2017, at least 17 people were murdered by the gang, according to The New York Times.