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Ramon Martines, 36, of Hempstead, was arraigned and charged on Friday, Dec. 20 with murder, first and second-degree conspiracy, all felonies, for his role in the March 2017 murder of Nelson Rodriguez.
Singas said that on March 20, 2017, Martines - the alleged head of the Hempstead Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13 on Long Island – working with others, drove from Uniondale to Hempstead looking for a member of the rival 14th Street gang to shoot and kill in retaliation for an assault on an MS-13 member
It is alleged that the group circled the area multiple times, searching for a member of the gang. They eventually found Rodriguez, who was walking home from work at an auto body shop on Front Street.
According to Singas, although Rodriguez was not a member of the 14th Street gang, gang member Pedro Rivera – who was armed with a gun – was ordered to kill the victim because he was a perceived enemy of MS-13.
As the alleged leader of the clique, the murder was allegedly sanctioned by Martines.
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.
Rivera and co-defendant Carlos Flores have since been convicted for their roles in Rodriguez’s murder and sentenced to terms of between 50 years to life in prison. A third co-conspirator, Hector Lazo, is being held pending sentencing.
Martines is scheduled to appear back in court on Friday, Jan. 31. If he is convicted of the top charge, he will face the same sentence as Flores and Rivera.
“The defendant – alleged to be a high-ranking clique leader of MS-13 – is charged with sanctioning the senseless murder of a 39-year old man as he walked on Front Street after a long day at work,” Singas said. “MS-13 has waged war on our immigrant communities and with this arrest, we’ve removed an alleged clique leader and made our communities safer.”
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