Alleged MS-13 gang member indicted in 2016 slaying

<p>An alleged MS-13 gang member from Roosevelt pleaded not guilty after a quick arraignment related to a 2016 killing.</p>

News 12 Staff

Sep 6, 2018, 6:29 PM

Updated 2,057 days ago

Share:

An alleged MS-13 gang member from Roosevelt pleaded not guilty after a quick arraignment related to a 2016 killing.
Jose Daniel Lopez was indicted in the murder of another Roosevelt teen, Josue Amaya Leonor – also known to his family as Joshua Aguilar.
Aguilar’s body was found in a wooded area in Roosevelt in May.
News 12 reported that Aguilar went missing in September 2016. His sister told News 12 last year that her brother vanished after meeting people he thought were friends in a Roosevelt shopping center. Police say Aguilar was "marked for death" for posting a social media photo indicating he was in the rival 18th Street Gang. Police say Aguilar was then lured to the Roosevelt Preserve with promises of smoking marijuana.
Prosecutors say Lopez is a member of MS-13’s “Hollywood Clique” and admitted to striking Aguilar three to four times with a machete. They say other individuals were also involved in the killing.
Lopez then allegedly told police, "After we finished burying him, [we] put the machetes and shovels in like a white nylon bag, walked back to a car and drove away.”
Defense attorney Jeff Groder says there is no physical evidence that ties Lopez to the case.
“[Prosecutors] do have a statement that he allegedly gave to the police," said Groder. “That will be the subject of a hearing later on to see if it is valid.”
Court records show Lopez is from El Salvador. His attorney says he came here illegally four years ago. He was held without bail because there is an "immigration hold" on him.
The Nassau County district attorney says additional arrests "are expected soon."


More from News 12
1:11
NYPD: Search for person in the water near Coney Island boardwalk unsuccessful

NYPD: Search for person in the water near Coney Island boardwalk unsuccessful

1:56
Temperatures to plummet overnight; winter-like chills expected Thursday morning

Temperatures to plummet overnight; winter-like chills expected Thursday morning

1:52
Hundreds don denim to stand in solidarity with sexual assault survivors

Hundreds don denim to stand in solidarity with sexual assault survivors

1:14
Police Athletic League hosts annual singing and dancing competition for kids

Police Athletic League hosts annual singing and dancing competition for kids

1:35
New Yankees murals at Bronx Terminal Market pays homage to Black baseball legends

New Yankees murals at Bronx Terminal Market pays homage to Black baseball legends

1:45
Dunkin' on Rockaway Parkway reopens following upgrades

Dunkin' on Rockaway Parkway reopens following upgrades

0:21
Express announces 2 Brooklyn stores to close after filing for bankruptcy

Express announces 2 Brooklyn stores to close after filing for bankruptcy

1:53
Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

1:21
Fire officials: 5 families displaced by Bensonhurst fire, 7 firefighters injured

Fire officials: 5 families displaced by Bensonhurst fire, 7 firefighters injured

1:04
DOT adds $6 million to boost overnight and evening deliveries over peak hours

DOT adds $6 million to boost overnight and evening deliveries over peak hours

0:20
MTA service alerts system now includes bridges, tunnels

MTA service alerts system now includes bridges, tunnels

0:18
NYPD: 26-year-old fatally shot in the neck, torso in Crown Heights

NYPD: 26-year-old fatally shot in the neck, torso in Crown Heights

1:46
Traverse Green-Wood Cemetery in 'And Then, Now' performative walk experience

Traverse Green-Wood Cemetery in 'And Then, Now' performative walk experience

0:38
DA: Brooklyn man sentenced to life for deadly armed robbery, shooting in East Williamsburg

DA: Brooklyn man sentenced to life for deadly armed robbery, shooting in East Williamsburg

1:31
Protesters hold Seder sit-in at Grand Army Plaza

Protesters hold Seder sit-in at Grand Army Plaza

0:59
City now has power to padlock illegal cannabis stores

City now has power to padlock illegal cannabis stores

DA: 3 teens indicted for killing bystander, wounding 4 in subway shooting

DA: 3 teens indicted for killing bystander, wounding 4 in subway shooting

1:57
State taxi federation raises reward for information to help stop carjackings, robberies

State taxi federation raises reward for information to help stop carjackings, robberies

2:16
New bill would hold Brooklyn landlords accountable of unacceptable living conditions

New bill would hold Brooklyn landlords accountable of unacceptable living conditions

1:58
Brooklyn artist, USPS team up for new Forever stamps for spring, wedding seasons

Brooklyn artist, USPS team up for new Forever stamps for spring, wedding seasons