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Hempstead resident Carlos Flores, 26, and Pedro Rivera, 25, have been sentenced to a term of 50 years to life in prison after being convicted of murder, conspiracy and two counts each of criminal possession of a weapon for a fatal shooting in March two years ago.
On March 20, 2017, Flores, Rivera, and others drove from Hempstead to Uniondale to track down a member of the rival 14th Street gang to retaliate from a prior assault on an MS-13 member.
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said that the group circled the area multiple times, searching for a member of the gang. They eventually found Nelson Rodriguez, who was walking home from work at an auto body shop on Front Street, and Flores ordered Rivera to shoot him.
Singas noted that Rodriguez was not a member of the 14th Street gang, and he was ordered to be shot because he was a perceived enemy of MS-13.
Rivera proceeded to exit the vehicle and walked on Front Street toward the victim, passing him before shooting him once in the head. When Rodriguez fell to the ground, Rivera shot him again in the back.
Witnesses called the police, and Rodriguez was transported to the Nassau County University Medical Center, where he later died. Rivera was arrested on July 18, 2017, and Flores was arrested on Oct. 19 last year following an extensive investigation.
A third co-conspirator, Hector Lazo, is currently awaiting sentencing.
“These MS-13 members murdered an innocent man in cold blood to settle a perceived gang score, and they will spend the rest of their lives in prison for this depraved crime,” Singas said. “We’ve made great strides in our fight against MS-13 by locking up predators like these, and I commend our law enforcement partners for their relentless efforts to rid our communities of gang members who have terrorized our immigrant communities.”
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