Cops: Arrest in MS-13-linked death of teen found buried

Jose Lopez, 19, is accused in the murder of Josue Amaya Leonor, 19

CBS New York

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — A suspect has been arrested in the death of a Long Island teenager who police identified as a victim of the violent MS-13 gang. Newsday reports that 19-year-old Jose Lopez is scheduled for arraignment on a murder charge Friday in the killing of Josue Amaya Leonor.

READ: MS-13 gang violence: Mounting alarm as feds respond

Leonor’s body was found on May 30, two years after he was reported missing. The remains were buried in a wooded area of Nassau County, reports CBS New York. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at the time there was “no doubt” the 19-year-old was a victim of MS-13. It’s not clear how he was killed.

Police did not say if Lopez was a member of the gang. Information on an attorney for Lopez wasn’t immediately available.

MS-13 is believed to be behind 25 killings on Long Island in the past two years and has become a prime target of President Donald Trump’s administration.

Last month police made arrests in connection with the MS-13-linked murder of 16-year-old Angel Soler, whose remains were also found in a wooded area of Roosevelt last October, according to CBS New York.

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