MS-13 Leader Gets 25 Years In Prison For Death Of Nassau Man

HEMPSTEAD, NY — The leader of a Nassau County clique of MS-13 was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for conspiring and participating in the death of a 39-year-old man in 2017.

Ramon Martines, 39, aka Cruzito, of Hempstead, pleaded guilty on Sept. 15 to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree conspiracy.

“As the leader of a local MS-13 clique in Hempstead, this defendant exercised his control by sanctioning the senseless murder of a 39-year-old man as he left work because the defendant perceived him to be an enemy and member of a rival gang,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “Tragically, that was not the case, and the man was shot several times and killed. We continue to aggressively pursue cases against MS-13 members and their leaders, remove these dangerous actors from our streets, and keep our communities safe.”

According to Donnelly, on March 20, 2017, Martines — the former head of the Hempstead Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13 — drove from Uniondale to Hempstead with two others, looking for a member of the rival 14th Street Gang to kill in retaliation for the assault of an MS-13 member.

After circling the area multiple times, the group saw 39-year-old Nelson Rodriguez, of Hempstead, walking west on Front Street, heading home from his job at an auto body shop.

Rodriguez was not a member of the 14th Street Gang, but one of the men in the car — Pedro Rivera, who was armed with a gun — was ordered to kill him by Martines, who said Rodriguez was a perceived enemy of the gang.

Rivera got out of the car and walked toward Rodriguez. He passed him, then turned and shot him once in the back of the head. When Rodriguez fell to the ground, Rivera shot him again in the back.

Multiple witnesses immediately called 911 and Rodriguez was transported to Nassau County University Medical Center, where he later died.

Rivera and another co-defendant, Carlos Flores, were convicted at trials for their roles in the murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison on Oct. 1, 2019.

Co-defendant Hector Lazo’s case is pending sentencing.