Alleged gang leader gets life in prison for planned church parking lot murder
Kayla Alvarenga was found guilty in March after a jury trial convicted her of murder and related charges.
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A 23-year-old alleged gang leader was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney.
Kayla Alvarenga was sentencing for ordering the execution of a Central Islip man who fell asleep in his car outside her home.
Alvarenga was found guilty in March after a jury convicted her of murder and related charges.
“A man is dead because he parked in front of the wrong house," District Attorney Ray Tierney said. "This defendant orchestrated his kidnapping and murder, directed co-defendants to hunt him down, and used minors to get it done.”
On Sept. 17, 2022, just before midnight, Linver Ortiz Ponce was asleep in his Camaro outside Alvarenga's Fifth Avenue home when she confronted him and told him to move his car.
Prosecutors said Alvarenga told four people, including three minors, to remove the 29-year-old.
Officials say they drove to her house in a BMW that was carjacked from a woman hours before and dragged him from the car while he slept. The group is then accused of beating him and stealing the Camaro.
Ponce ran to a gas station and tried to hide from the attack.
Alvarenga then told the group she wanted Ponce found, abducted and killed.
He was found at the gas station and dragged at gunpoint into the BMW and brought to the House of Prayer Church of God parking lot.
Prosecutors allege that seven people beat him until Christopher Perdomo, of Glen Cove, shot him repeatedly while he tried to crawl away.
The group got rid of the car and took his wallet.
Perdomo later pleaded guilty to murder and other charges and testified against Alvarenga.
