Gang members and associates of the Huntington Criminal Locates Salvatrucha or “HCLS” clique of the MS-13 street gang have been charged with robbery, kidnapping, and gang assault following an alleged violent attack on a 15-year-old boy in Suffolk County, New York. District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the charges, expressing a strong commitment to prosecuting gang violence in the county.
According to the investigation, on January 6, 2024, the victim was lured to the Huntington Train Station by a minor before being attacked by members of the gang. The attackers reportedly stole the victim’s money and property, assaulted him, and then forced him into a car, which was driven to the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood. Once at the center, the victim was forced into an abandoned building, where he was further assaulted, resulting in serious injuries.
The defendants, including JOSUE ZEPEDA PADILLA, BRAYAN JIMENEZ AVILA, YEISON CHAVEZ CAMPOS, MAYCOLL RAMIREZ CERRATO, MARCOS SERPOS, and MAYBELLINE GARCIA CORNEJO, have been indicted on various charges, including robbery, assault, and kidnapping. The minor involved in the incident has also been indicted on robbery and criminal facilitation charges.
RAMIREZ CERRATO, CHAVEZ CAMPOS, SERPOS, GARCIA CORNEJO, and JIMENEZ AVILA have already been arraigned on the indictment, with bail amounts set and court dates scheduled. However, ZEPEDA PADILLA remains at large and anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact the Suffolk County Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
The case is being prosecuted by the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, with investigative assistance from Detective Sean Walsh of the Suffolk County Police Department. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office stresses that criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.