MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty To 'Brutal' Suffolk Execution: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — An MS-13 gang member admitted to killing an 18-year-old man in Greenlawn in August 2016, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Wednesday.

Anthony Gutierrez Meza, 25, of Valley Stream, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for his role in the slaying of Estiven Abrego Gomez.

"This was a brutal, senseless and vicious execution of a young man who had his whole life ahead of him," Tierney said in a news release. "This guilty plea does nothing to bring Estiven Abrego Gomez back, but it will keep the defendant in prison and away from the public for a significant prison term."

Gutierrez Meza lured Abrego Gomez out of his home Aug. 19, 2016 asking in a Facebook message to meet up to smoke marijuana at the ball field in Greenlawn Park, according to Gutierrez Meza's guilty plea.

Gutierrez Meza, a member of the Normandy clique of Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13), previously asked permission to kill Abrego Gomez, which was granted by Elmer Gilberto Santos Contreras, a higher-ranking MS-13 gang member, investigators said. Santos Contreras did not participate in the attack itself, the DA said.

In the early hours of Aug. 20, 2016, Abrego Gomez entered the park with Gutierrez Meza and another co-conspirator, prosecutors said. Moments later, Carlos Lopez Campos and five other co-conspirators armed with a baseball bat, knives, machete and other weapons entered the park and walked toward Abrego Gomez, investigators said.

Abrego Gomez tried to run away, but he was punched by one of the group members, knocking him to the ground, authorities said.

Gutierrez Meza and the others took turns hitting Abrego Gomez with the bat, stabbing and slicing him with the knives, and chopping at him with the machete until they were satisfied that he was dead, officials said. Both of Abrego Gomez's hands were nearly been cut off, the district attorney said.

The MS-13 members fled and left Abrego Gomez's corpse in the park, prosecutors said.

A man walking his dogs found Abrego Gomez's body a few hours later and called 911.

Abrego Gomez died of sharp force injuries and blunt force trauma, according to the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Gutierrez Meza, Santos Contreras, and Lopez Campos were arrested and charged in connection with the killing after an investigation by Suffolk County Police Department Homicide Squad Detectives, officials said.

Santos Contreras pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Dec. 11, 2019.

Lopez Campos pleaded guilty to second-degree murder April 28, 2021.

Gutierrez Meza pleaded guilty Tuesday. He is due back in court on July 11 and will be sentenced up to 22 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision. Gutierrez Meza is being represented by Ian Fitzgerald.