Anthony Gutierrez-Meza, 25, of Valley Stream, was sentenced to 22 years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, July 11.
He previously pleaded guilty in May 2023 to manslaughter in the August 2016 killing of Estevan Abrego-Gomez at Greenlawn Park in Greenlawn.
Gutierrez-Mesa was a member of the Normandy gang Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) and had permission from a senior gang member to kill Abrego, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office – Gomez.
On August 19, 2016, he lured Gomez to Greenlawn Park by messaging him on Facebook asking to meet and smoke marijuana.
As soon as Abrego Gomez entered the park, he was ambushed by Gutierrez Meza and several others, who knocked him to the ground and took turns beating and stabbing him with a baseball bat.
The group also hacked the man with a machete, nearly cutting off his hands, prosecutors said. They then fled, leaving his body in the park.
“No reasonable explanation exists to justify the defendant’s actions,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“However, the defendant’s actions were even more senseless as he took the victim’s life only to enhance his status within the MS-13 gang.”
On May 30, Gutierrez Meza pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter shortly before his trial was due to begin.
In addition to the jail sentence, he was also ordered to complete five years of post-release supervision.
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