Suffolk County, New York – Seven alleged members and associates of the Huntington Criminal Locates Salvatrucha or “HCLS” clique of the MS-13 street gang, have been charged with robbery, kidnapping, and gang assault following the violent attack on a 15-year-old boy on January 6, 2024, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.
Tierney stated, “This indictment is an example of my office’s dedication and commitment to ensuring that gang members and associates who commit violence in Suffolk County are investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent,” adding, “The allegations of this indictment are horrific. Gang violence has no place in Suffolk County, and it will not be tolerated.”
According to the investigation, on January 6, 2024, the 15-year-old victim was lured to the Huntington Train Station by a minor. While at the train station, five of the seven co-defendants allegedly displayed a knife, surrounded the victim, stole the victim’s money and property, and took turns punching and kicking the victim. The five co-defendants then allegedly forced the victim into a car driven by one of the defendants and brought him to the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood.
Once at the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, the defendants allegedly forced the victim to climb through a hole in the wall of an abandoned building where they allegedly assaulted the victim, including stabbing him in the neck and hitting him in the head with a hard object, causing unconsciousness and a fractured skull.
The defendants have been indicted for various charges, and several have been arraigned with high bail amounts set by the court. One of the defendants remains at large, and the authorities are seeking information on his whereabouts.
The case is being prosecuted by the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, with investigative assistance from the Suffolk County Police Department. Criminal complaints and indictments are accusatory instruments, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, according to the District Attorney’s office.