SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – Anthony Gutierrez Meza, 25, from Valley Stream, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the 2016 killing of 18-year-old Estiven Abrego Gomez. The announcement was made on Thursday by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.
The investigations and defendant’s admissions reveal that on Friday, August 19, 2016, Gutierrez Meza used Facebook to lure Gomez out of his home under the pretext of meeting at the Greenlawn Park to smoke marijuana. Gutierrez Meza, a member of the Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) gang, received approval to kill Gomez from a higher-ranking gang member, Santos Contreras.
In the early hours of Saturday, August 20, 2016, Gomez was met at the park by Gutierrez Meza and six co-conspirators, who attacked him with a baseball bat, knives, and a machete. The severity of the attack nearly amputated both of Gomez’s hands.
Following an extensive investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department Homicide Squad Detectives, Gutierrez Meza, Santos Contreras, and Lopez Campos were arrested and charged with the murder of Gomez.
Gutierrez Meza’s trial began before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Timothy P. Mazzei, on Tuesday. After jury selection, he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. He is due back in court on July 11, 2023, and faces a sentence of up to 22 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
