Inwood native sentenced to life

Juan Garcia killed a mother and her son

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Juan Garcia, 22, of Inwood and Baldwin, was sentenced to life in prison on Nov. 24 for killing Vanessa Argueta, 19, and her 2-year-old son, Diego Torres, in a wooded area of Central Islip on Feb. 5, 2010.
Garcia, who is also know as “Cruzito” is a member of La Mara Salvatrucha, the MS-13 street gang. Two other MS-13 members, Adalberto Ariel Guzman and Rene Mendez Mejia, were also convicted for the killings. Guzman was sentenced to prison, plus 35 years in 2013. Mejia pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
A former FBI Ten Most Wanted murder fugitive, Garcia and Mejia shot Argueta in the chest and head, respectively, and Guzman shot Torres two times in the head. After the murders were committed, Garcia and the others fled to El Salvador. Guzman and Mejia were arrested in May 2-10, but Garcia eluded capture for four years until being placed on the most wanted list. He surrendered to law enforcement officials in Nicaragua in March 2014. He pled guilty in October of last year.
“The MS-13 is infamous for committing senseless and brutal acts of violence, but even for the MS-13, the murders of Vanessa Argueta and Diego Torres were particularly depraved and callous,” said Robert L. Capers, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District who prosecuted the case.
MS-13 members, including leader Heriberto Martinez decided to kill Argueta because they believed she had disrespected the gang by having sent rival gang members to attack Garcia. Martinez was sentenced to life in prison, plus 60 years for the March, 6, 2010 murder of Nestor Moreno in Hempstead and for killing Mario Alberto Canton Quijada in Far Rockaway 11 days later.
“Garcia and his fellow MS-13 members senselessly and callously murdered a young mother and her toddler,” said Diego Rodriguez, the FBI assistant director-in-charge. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to not only root out gangs in our communities but also bring their crimes to justice.”