Who is Leniz Escobar? MS-13's 'Little Devil' faces trial over brutal 2017 murders
On April 12, 2017, the mangled bodies of four men were discovered in a Central Islip park in Long Island. Nearly half a decade later, the families of the four victims can look forward to justice with four of the six responsible to face trial in the coming months over the horrific crime. Amongst them is Leniz Escobar, a female member of the MS-13 street gang who allegedly helped orchestrate the massacre.
The Salvadorian gang, which originated in Los Angeles has since grown into a nationwide criminal enterprise and is often compared with Japan's Yakuza and the Italian Camorra. In May 2020, 10 members brutally beat up three people to death in New York City, while screaming "no one can stop us." In September 2018, federal prosecutors claimed the gang was "completely dismantled" after a major crackdown at its Mendota, California headquarters.
RELATED ARTICLES
However, reports in the years since indicate that MS-13 is indeed alive and well, as we have extensively reported on. The April 2017 massacre in Long Island is just one of the many brutal acts members committed, often even though they were underage. The story of Escobar echoes that fact, as she was just 17 at the time of the massacre.
Who is Leniz Escobar?
Dubbed "Diablita", Escobar is believed to have been a low-ranking member of the gang, attempting to move up the ranks in 2017. As part of that, she is believed to have played a key role in the killing of Michael Lopez, Justin Llivicura, Jorge Tigre, and Jefferson Villalobos. The four were found hacked to death, while a fifth victim managed to escape. They are all believed to be rival members of a gang with whom MS-13 appeared to have a beef. Two of those involved have already been sentenced to 50 and 55 years in prison. One of them is Jorge Portillo, who was just 15 at the time of the murders.
Little is known about Escobar outside of the case. In February 2021, it was reported she wanted prosecutors to stop using her nickname (Little Devil in Spanish), for fears it could prejudice the jury. Initially, she was to be tried as a juvenile, but a judge ruled she should be tried as an adult because of her key role in the slayings. Prosecutors allege she lured the five to a secluded wooded area of the park under the pretext of smoking marijuana, and then texted other MS-13 members they had arrived.
After the brutal murder, she threw away her cellphone "from a moving vehicle" and "discarded the bloody clothing that she had been wearing." She has since been slapped with racketeering charges, to which she has pleaded not guilty. Her trial will begin on March 21 and reportedly last three to four weeks. If found guilty, she faces up to life in prison, but won't be eligible for the death sentence under state law.