Alleged MS-13 Member Convicted Of Murder In 2021 Nassau Shooting: DA

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — An alleged MS-13 member was convicted of murder after he shot an 18-year-old man in Cow Meadow Park in Freeport in March 2021, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced Thursday.

Kevin Torres, 26, a/k/a Sarco, was found guilty Wednesday after a jury trial. He was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy, and second-degree conspiracy. Torres faces up to 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on July 10 for the death of Daniel Garcia-Carbajal, the DA said.

"Kevin Torres was instrumental in the murder of a teenage victim and conspiracy to conceal the crime," Donnelly said in a statement. "Daniel Garcia-Carbajal thought he was going to spend an afternoon partying with friends and a few girls when he was persuaded to take a drive with Torres to Cow Meadow Park. Instead, the young man was brutally murdered for social media posts that were seen by MS-13 as disrespecting the gang. NCDA has worked diligently for years to dismantle this criminal organization and will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to ensure MS-13 never regains its foothold in our communities."

Early March 1, 2021, Garcia-Carbajal was lured to Cow Meadow Park with the promise of meeting up with girls through a message sent to him on Facebook Messenger, Donnelly said.

Garcia-Carbajal was picked up in a car that afternoon and taken to Cow Meadow Park in Freeport with Torres and other co-defendants, prosecutors said. Garcia-Carbajal entered the park with multiple co-defendants — including Torres — where he was shot once in his head causing his death, investigators said.

After the murder, Torres was given the gun used in the shooting and buried it in a co-defendant’s backyard, officials said.

A family member reported Garcia-Carbajal missing and his body was found the following day in the park, authorities said.

Garcia-Carbajal was a perceived enemy of MS-13 because of previous social media posts, the DA said.

Torres was arrested on Oct. 26, 2021, by members of the Nassau County Police Department’s Bureau of Special Operations in Central Islip, officials said.

Garcia-Carbajal is represented by Jeffrey Groder. Groder did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

The trial began on May 22, and the jury deliberated for less than an hour before delivering their verdict.