Mom of alleged MS-13 victim: ‘We need to protect our kids’
Evelyn Rodriquez, mother of Kayla Cuevas, at federal court in Central Islip last year. Credit: James Carbone
The mother of a Brentwood teen allegedly slain by MS-13 gang members made a plea Thursday for better school programs to help young people.
“They keep saying the kids are our future, so we need to protect our kids,” Evelyn Rodriguez said on “Fox & Friends.”
“They need to be in a nonhostile environment in school because it all originates in school,” she said.
She urged more guidance counselors who can connect with vulnerable young people “because they feel they’re not being heard.”
Her daughter, Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15, were students at Brentwood High School in September 2016 when they were bludgeoned to death with bats and hacked with machetes by MS-13 gang members, authorities have said.
Six alleged gang members have been indicted on federal charges in the slayings.
Rodriguez said it has been difficult to go to court and see the people who are accused of killing her daughter.
“These individuals are ruthless. They do these crimes and not think about the people they’re hurting. I just hope and pray one day this stops because you’re talking about kids killing kids,” she said.
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
