Man Charged in 2 MS-13-Linked Murders on Long Island: Officials

What to Know

A 20-year-old Long Island man has charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the two MS-13-linked slayings of teens on Long Island
Police say they connected Kevin Lopez-Morales, 20, of Roosevelt, to the death of 15-year-old Angel Soler and 19-year-old Josue Amaya Leonor
MS-13 has been linked to more than two dozen deaths on Long Island over the past two years

A fifth suspect has been arrested in the death of a 15-year-old Long Island boy found hacked to death with a machete in a slaying linked to the vicious MS-13 gang, officials say.

Kevin Lopez-Morales, 20, of Roosevelt, is also being charged in a second death of another teenager found buried in a wooded area of the Roosevelt Preserve, according to authorities. Police say Lopez-Morales took part in the killing of Angel Soler and 19-year-old Josue Amaya Leonor.

Authorities charged him with two counts of second-degree murder. He's expected to face a judge som time on Friday and it wasn't immediaitly clear if he had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.

Four others have already been arrested and charged over the last several months in Soler's killing. Dennis Lopez, 18, was arrested in June. Two other alleged MS-13 members, David Sosa Guevara and Victor Lopez, were previously indicted for Soler's murder, and the other suspect, Josue Antonio Figueroa-Velasquez, was arrested on murder charges related to the boy's death in May, the DA's office said. Figueroa-Velasquez pleaded not guilty at his arraignment this past spring.

Human remains that were found in a wooded area are that of a boy who had been missing for three months, authorities say. Tracie Strahan reports.

Soler left his home in Roosevelt on a bicycle last July, according to police. His mutilated body was found in October, in a wooded area five minutes from his home. The boy was attacked by a group of people who hacked him to death with a machete, officials said.

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Authorities have dug up the body of yet another murder victim believed to be linked to MS-13 gang violence. Checkey Beckford reports.

Amaya Leonor was lured to a Roosevelt Preserve by his so-called friends. His remains were found there in May. A 19-year-old man has also been arrested and charged in connection with Amaya Leonor's death.

Federal prosecutors believe MS-13 has thousands of members across the country. The gang has been linked to more than two dozen deaths on Long Island over the past two years.