Gang leader convicted of organizing attacks against kids

A Nassau jury convicted a gang leader of organizing attacks against young immigrants who refused to join his gang and trying to intimidate them, including firing shots at a 9-year-old child and others in one high school student’s backyard, authorities said Wednesday.

Jesus Arevalo, 31, of Hempstead, was found guilty Tuesday of the entire 24-count indictment, including first-degree attempted assault, criminal possession of a weapon, conspiracy, assault, endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest and attempted coercion, officials said. The MS-13 gang member faces a maximum of 15 years in prison on each top count when he is to be sentenced May 17, authorities said.

His attorney could not be immediately reached Wednesday night.

In 2014, Arevalo targeted Salvadoran immigrants of high school age and younger in Uniondale, and used students as young as 15 to carry out his attacks, prosecutors said. On May 12, of that year, he and three others waited outside Uniondale High School for one student who had insulted the gang, then punched and kicked him and tried to steal his bicycle.

About two weeks later, when MS-13 members harassed the same student in school, a fellow student intervened and was stabbed four days later by two of Arevalo’s gang associates, authorities said.

Then, on August 14, 2014, gang members surrounded the home of a student who had been harassed as far back as November 2012, authorities said, and Arevalo went into the backyard to fire shots at the five people there, including a child. No one was hurt.

When he was tracked down by Nassau police months later, in October, Arevalo ran from a detective and tried to punch the officer to avoid arrest, officials said.

“With other MS-13 members, this defendant targeted young immigrants attending a local high school, tried to lure them into his violent gang and put the lives of others, including a nine-year-old child, in danger,” Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a news release.

Arevalo’s conviction came after a 10-day trial and one day of jury deliberations, prosecutors said.