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Brandon Meza-Hernandez, age 32, and Jonny Turcios, age 35, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Nov. 6, to two counts each of attempted murder in the second degree.
Meza-Hernandez is expected to receive a 10-year prison sentence, while Turcios faces 12 years, with sentencing dates set for January 2025.
The attack occurred early on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2024, they attacked a victim in Hempstead near 76 North Franklin St., allegedly identifying themselves as MS-13 members, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said.
Another co-defendant, Jose Lovo Parada, pleaded guilty to attempted assault in August.
The men then pursued the victims in a vehicle at a high rate of speed, cornering them in a dead-end alley, where they struck at least one of them with the car before stabbing both repeatedly.
A second victim attempted to intervene and became involved in a physical altercation with the three men. A bar bouncer from the nearby El Tenampa Bar then separated the individuals.
Both victims sustained serious injuries and were treated at area hospitals.
One victim was slashed in his arm, severing an artery, and was also stabbed in the neck.
The other victim sustained three stab wounds to his back, resulting in a collapsed lung.
DA Donnelly stated, “Today’s guilty pleas are a testament to our steadfast obligation to ensuring the safety of every resident in Nassau and ridding these gangs from our streets.”
Police arrested Meza-Hernandez and Turcios within two weeks of the attack, with assistance from the Freeport Police Department and the Nassau County Police Department's Gang Investigations Squad.
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