MS-13 gang members indicted for machete attacks and violent robberies on Long Island
Mineola, NY — Five alleged members of MS-13’s Hempstead Locos Salvatruchas clique have been indicted for a series of brutal gang assaults, attempted murders, and robberies carried out with knives, machetes, and metal pipes in broad daylight on Long Island, Nassau County prosecutors announced.
The defendants—Elias Serrano Bonilla, 21; Pedro Martinez Velasquez, 18; Kelvin Martinez, 19; Edras Daniel Velazquez Giron, 19; and Jeffrey Valladares Archaga, 20—are accused of carrying out two violent ambush-style attacks in public spaces in October and December, targeting a total of eight victims. Bonilla, identified as a gang leader or “homeboy,” allegedly led both incidents.
According to prosecutors, on October 20 at Kennedy Memorial Park in Hempstead, the suspects ambushed six men playing soccer, attacking them with knives and a machete. Surveillance footage showed Bonilla casing the area, then Giron, Velasquez, and Martinez jumping a fence and joining in a frenzied assault that left several victims with severe stab wounds, internal injuries, and deep lacerations. One victim required gallbladder removal and organ repairs.
Archaga allegedly waited nearby in a getaway car and fled the scene with the attackers. A search of the vehicle uncovered a knife bearing the letters “MS.”
Less than two months later, on December 18, Bonilla, Velasquez, and Martinez allegedly struck again—this time outside a Uniondale laundromat. Armed with white pipes and a machete, the defendants attacked two men in a parking lot. Prosecutors say co-defendants Kennet Contreras, 24, and Edwin Patzan Piri, 18, joined the beating, during which one victim was slashed eight times with a machete.
All five main defendants have been charged in a 64-count grand jury indictment with attempted murder, gang assault, conspiracy, robbery, and multiple weapons and assault charges. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison.
The Nassau County Police Department and FBI arrested the suspects during a coordinated takedown on August 8. They remain remanded and will return to court later this month.
District Attorney Anne Donnelly said the coordinated gang attacks represent a continued threat to public safety that her office is determined to dismantle.
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Key Points
- Five alleged MS-13 gang members indicted for violent machete and pipe attacks in Hempstead and Uniondale
- Victims were ambushed in broad daylight and suffered serious stab wounds and lacerations
- Defendants face up to 25 years in prison if convicted on attempted murder and gang assault charges
Daylight machete attacks and brutal beatings mark a chilling wave of gang violence gripping Nassau County
