MS‑13 members sentenced to 12 years in prison for Nassau machete attacks
Officials say Pedro Martinez Velasquez, Kelvin Martinez and several co‑conspirators attacked six people with knives and a machete at a Hempstead soccer field.
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Two MS‑13 gang members will each spend 12 years in prison for a pair of violent attacks that occurred in 2024, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
Officials say Pedro Martinez Velasquez, Kelvin Martinez and several co‑conspirators attacked six people with knives and a machete at a Hempstead soccer field. The victims, who ranged in age between 20 and 51, were all injured during the incident.
The duo assaulted two more victims with a machete and a pipe outside of a Uniondale laundromat two months after the first attack. Police say they identified themselves as MS‑13 members during the attack and stated they were going to kill the victims.
Both victims sustained multiple injuries, according to investigators. Police arrested Velasquez and Martinez blocks away from the scene about 15 minutes later.
They both pleaded guilty to conspiracy, attempted murder and assault in February. Officials say they will be subject to five years of post‑release supervision.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly describes the sentencing as another step in the local fight against MS-13.
She made the following statement in a press release on Thursday:
“My office has worked for years to eradicate MS-13 violence from our communities, taking out top leadership and putting gang members behind bars. Today, two more members of the Hempstead Locos Salvatruchas will join them in prison for participating in a series of brutal knife and machete attacks in public spaces that seriously injured eight people… We will never allow MS-13 to take hold of our communities. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to stamp out this vicious gang and protect Nassau County residents.”
