Police car at the scene of a criminal related incident

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. — An MS-13 gang member has been convicted of multiple violent felonies for his role in a brutal 2024 attack on a 15-year-old boy at an abandoned building on the grounds of the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Saturday.

Yeison “Yerba” Chavez Campos, 23, of Huntington Station, was found guilty on July 18 by a jury of gang assault, kidnapping, robbery, and related charges. The conviction marks the final prosecution in a case involving seven MS-13 members and associates linked to the Huntington Criminal Locates Salvatrucha (HCLS) clique, all of whom have now been convicted.

According to trial evidence, on January 6, 2024, Chavez Campos and his co-defendants lured the teen to the Huntington Train Station, where they robbed and assaulted him before forcing him into a vehicle. The group transported the victim to the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood, where he was beaten, struck with a brick, and stabbed in the neck. The attackers left him unconscious inside the abandoned building.

Hours later, the group returned with garbage bags and shovels intending to bury the body but were unable to find the victim. The teen had regained consciousness and made his way to a nearby road, where he collapsed. A passerby called 911, and the victim was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery for a fractured skull and brain bleed. He survived the assault.

Chavez Campos was convicted of:

Gang Assault in the First Degree
Assault in the First Degree
Kidnapping in the Second Degree
Attempted Assault in the First Degree
Gang Assault in the Second Degree
Two counts of Robbery in the Second Degree
Two counts of Assault in the Second Degree

He is scheduled for sentencing on August 20, 2025, and faces up to 25 years for each of the top charges, which may be served consecutively. Following his sentence, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has filed a detainer to deport Chavez Campos.

The case was prosecuted by Suffolk County’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau. The investigation was led by the Suffolk County Police Department.

Shore News Network Staff Report Latest posts

Shore News Network Staff Report is the official newsroom byline used by Shore News Network when a story is produced through the collaborative work of multiple members of the editorial team rather than a single reporter.

This newsroom account is reserved for articles that involve contributions from multiple journalists, editors, photographers, researchers, or news desk staff. It is also used for developing stories that are updated as new verified information becomes available, as well as for community announcements, weather coverage, public safety alerts, election results, and other newsroom-produced content.

Every article published under the Shore News Network Staff Report byline is reviewed and edited in accordance with the organization's editorial standards for accuracy, fairness, attribution, and transparency. Information is verified through official government agencies, court records, law enforcement, public documents, direct reporting, interviews, and other reliable primary and secondary sources before publication whenever possible.

The Staff Report account does not use artificial intelligence to independently generate news or publish unverified information. AI-assisted tools may occasionally be used for editorial support tasks such as transcription, formatting, grammar review, or workflow efficiency, but all published content is subject to human editorial oversight and approval by Shore News Network's newsroom staff.

As an independently owned digital news organization, Shore News Network is committed to original reporting, public safety journalism, government accountability, local community coverage, and breaking news throughout New Jersey and surrounding regions. Stories published under the Staff Report byline reflect the collective experience and editorial judgment of the Shore News Network newsroom.

Readers who have corrections, additional information, or news tips related to a Staff Report article are encouraged to contact the newsroom at news@shorenewsnetwork.com. Shore News Network welcomes factual corrections and updates as part of its commitment to accurate, transparent journalism.