Efforts To Eradicate MS-13 Amp Up, Gang Member Convicted: DA

RIVERHEAD, NY — MS-13 gang member Willy Hernandez, 31, of Copiague, was convicted of assaulting a man in a Copiague deli.

During the incident on on July 27, 2017, Hernandez struck the man over the head with a glass bottle, causing the bottle to break and resulting in severe lacerations to the man's face, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini said in a release.

Hernandez was convicted by a Suffolk County Supreme Court jury of second degree assault, a felony, on Tuesday, Sini said in a release.

A jury found Hernandez guilty of assaulting the victim at Amigo Deli, located at 1715 Great Neck Road in Copiague at approximately 10:45 p.m. on July 27, the release said.

Hernandez followed the victim out of the deli's front entrance and, "without provocation or cause, grabbed him by the neck and smashed a Corona beer bottle over his head, causing the bottle to break and slice the victim's lower left cheek area. The assault resulted in a severe wound to the victim's face, which required 13 stitches, and has left the victim with nerve damage and extensive scarring," the release said.

Hernandez was arrested by Suffolk County Police on August 3, 2017 and pleaded not guilty to the assault charge at his arraignment on August 29, the DA said.

He is expected to be sentenced on February 15.

Assistant District Attorney Mary Skiber handled the prosecution with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Melissa Bliss.

The case was investigated by Suffolk County Police first squad detectives and first precinct gang unit officers.

Sini, who was elected in November, has pledged to crack down on the deadly MS-13 gang.

At his inauguration this month, Sini said: "We are going to proactively target MS-13 and other violent street gangs through our newly created gang unit, and work collaboratively with all of our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal level."

After the arrest, Sini said the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office's number one priority is to proactively target the members of MS-13 and other violent street gangs and to prosecute those criminals to the fullest extent of the law.

"We will not tolerate MS-13 in our communities, and my office is implementing an extremely aggressive strategy to combat gang activity in Suffolk County," he said.

Under Sini's leadership, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office has been reorganized to include the designated gang unit within the newly-restructured enhanced prosecution bureau; that unit will focus exclusively on investigating and prosecuting gang members in Suffolk County, the release from Sini's office said.

The gang unit will work target gang members, coordinate efforts and intelligence with all gang-assigned law enforcement units in the region, and work to host prevention and intervention programs in the community.

While serving as commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department, Sini launched a multi-pronged strategy to eradicate MS-13 from Suffolk County, which included collaborative efforts to collect intelligence on gang members and share intelligence with partnering law enforcement agencies, enhanced and targeted police presence and patrols in affected areas, and significant investments in gang prevention and intervention strategies, he said.

Efforts have resulted in more than 300 arrests of MS-13 gang members since September, 2016, Sini said.

MS-13 coverage on Patch:

• MS-13: An Inside Look At The Brutal Gang And Its Insidious Spread On Long Island
• Crackdown Nets 39 MS-13 Arrests In 30 Days
• AG Jeff Sessions Warns Deadly MS-13: 'We Are Targeting You'
• 3 MS-13 Gang Members Reportedly Charged In Brutal Quadruple Homicide In Central Islip
• Feds ID Alleged MS-13 Gang Members Charged In Dozen Long Island Murders
• Guardian Angels Founder Curtis Sliwa Offers Plan To Rein In MS-13
• War Against MS-13 Rages On, Police Chief Discusses Concerns
• Watch Live: Suffolk Police Commissioner Tim Sini Testifying Before Congress On Deadly MS-13 Gang
• 'We Are At War:' Dozens Of MS-13 Gang Members Arrested, Indicted

Patch photos of gang signs and graffiti courtesy of Suffolk County Sheriffs Office.