The mother of a 16-year-old boy butchered by MS-13 members said she hopes the ruthless killers “rot in jail” — as the gang leader convicted of ordering the hit was handed a life sentence by a Brooklyn federal judge on Tuesday.
An emotionless Melvi Amador-Rios, 32, sat quietly as Brooklyn Assistant US Attorney Anna Karamigios read impact statements from victims of his Centrales Locos Salvatruchas, an MS-13 clique that ran riot in Jamaica, Queens, at his sentencing hearing.
Bertha Palaguachi, the mother of Julio Vasquez — a teen who was stabbed over 30 times by MS-13 members acting on Amador-Rios’ orders in 2017 — said she hopes those involved in her son’s murder never see the light of day again.
“They didn’t kill an animal — they killed my son, and I want justice. I hope they stay and rot in jail,” Palaguachi wrote in her statement.
Amador-Rios — who went by nicknames “Letal” and Pinky” — was the “corredor,” or leader, of the local MS-13 arm when he instructed underlings Josue “Colocho” Leiva and Luis “Inquieto” Rivas to set up a trap and lure Vasquez to Alley Pond Park in Queens on May 16, 2017.
There, they stabbed the teen 34 times, leaving his body nearly decapitated, prosecutors said.
Vasquez’ remains were later discovered by a local birdwatcher, who testified at trial that the body was “covered with maggots.”
Amador-Rios was also convicted following the trial of orchestrating the 2016 shooting of then-16-year-old Luis Serrano, who survived the attempted hit but was left paralyzed.
Serrano, who sat quietly in a motorized wheelchair in the back of the courtroom, wrote about the hardships he has faced since being targeted by members of Amador-Rios’ clique — who believed he belonged to the 18th Street, a rival Queens gang, all “because of the five minutes I spent with those three guys.”
“When I woke up in the hospital, the doctor told me how I wasn’t going to be able to move. I started to cry,” Serrano said in his statement.
Serrano, who testified about the gruesome attack at trial, said he wishes he could still play soccer or run up the stairs at school, but his reality has him trapped in a wheelchair where he has to be carried on the beach.
Another victim of Amador-Rios’ terror reign — Wendy Bolanoes, who was robbed at gunpoint by MS-13 members acting at the leader’s discretion — wrote about how she suffers PTSD any time customers walk into her store wearing masks and hoodies because Amador-Rios was concerned with stealing “five dollars instead of getting a real job.”
“Your mother shouldn’t be proud of you,” she wrote.
Prosecutors said that Amador-Rios “manipulated” young, vulnerable teenagers into joining the gang to cause senseless “carnage” on the streets of Jamaica.
“He used his position of power to convince children who idolized him to join the gang,” Karamigios said in Brooklyn federal court.
Victims continue to “live in fear” of retaliation from the gang, she added.
A jury found Amador-Rios guilty on Aug. 8 of 17 out of 18 counts including murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering.
It came after a two-week trial where jurors heard from several MS-13 snitches about the CLS leader’s lawless rule — including his own brother, who turned on him during his testimony.
“I love him a lot, you know, but faith has put us here. It isn’t like I want to do what I am doing right now, but I cannot rot in jail,” brother Santos Amador-Rios said at trial. “He knows that and I know that I love him a lot, but there’s nothing that I can do.”
Sporting a thicker beard and a new tan prison jumpsuit, Amador-Rios elected not to speak at his sentencing, only flashing a slight smile and waving at family members in the back row of the courtroom as he was hauled out following Judge Rachel P. Kovner delivering the life sentence.
“The defendant will deservedly serve a life sentence for the murder, attempted murder and armed robberies he committed on behalf of MS-13,” US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.
“Today’s sentence reflects justice for the heinous and senseless nature of the defendant’s crimes and the terror he inflicted on his victims, their families and the community.”