Leniz Escobar, 24, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Tuesday for her role in a brutal 2017 attack carried out by MS-13 gang members in a Long Island park. Known by the nickname “La Diablita,” Escobar was convicted in April 2022 for luring five young men into a trap that resulted in the deaths of four of them: Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre, and Jefferson Villalobos, all between the ages of 16 and 20.
The incident took place in Central Islip, New York, where Escobar reportedly enticed the victims to the park under the guise of smoking marijuana. Once they arrived, gang members ambushed them with machetes, knives, axes, and clubs. While one individual managed to escape, the remaining four were killed in the attack.
Prosecutors indicated that the assault was motivated by the belief that the victims were affiliated with a rival gang. At least two of the young men had previously posted images on social media that gang members considered disrespectful.
After the attack, Escobar allegedly bragged about her involvement to other gang members, highlighting her allegiance to MS-13. “The defendant demonstrated her allegiance to the MS-13 gang by luring four young men to their slaughter. It is my hope that the justice meted out today will provide some comfort to those who lost loved ones to this senseless gang violence,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace stated.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael Driscoll also commented on Escobar’s actions. “Her subsequent bragging of her inhumane trap to ranked members exemplifies Escobar’s perverted prioritization of gang status over human life. May today’s sentencing provide some justice to the victims’ families.”
Escobar’s case is part of a larger investigation, with more than a dozen MS-13 members and associates charged in connection with the attack. She is the fifth individual to receive a sentence related to the incident, which has drawn attention to the ongoing issue of gang violence in communities across the United States.
