“Ten Most Wanted” Suspect Pleads Not Guilty on Long Island

The 21-year-old suspect was arrested in Nicaragua last week

A member of a Salvadoran-based street gang suspected in the execution-style killings of his 19-year-old girlfriend and her toddler son has been ordered held without bail in New York.

Juan Elias Garcia pleaded not guilty Monday during an initial court appearance in U.S. District Court on Long Island.

The 21-year-old faces murder, murder conspiracy and firearms charges in the February 2010 killings of Vanessa Argueta and her 2-year-old son Diego Torres.

Authorities say the killings were in retaliation for the woman's association with suspected members of other street gangs.

Garcia, an alleged member of MS-13, surrendered to authorities in Nicaragua last Thursday. That was one day after the FBI announced it had placed Garcia on its list of "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives."

His attorney declined to comment.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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