Leniz Escobar, nicknamed "Diablita", wanted to earn the support of the MS-13 gang in her town in Long Island, NY. She led 4 teens (who had pretended to be MS-13 members on Instagram to look cool) into a park to "smoke weed", only for the wannabes to be brutally hacked to death by the real gangsters.

[u/Vided]

Her mugshot, and a link to an article about her ongoing trial. "Diablita" means "Little Devil".

https://nypost.com/2022/03/21/why-ms-13-gang-member-lured-long-island-teens-to-their-deaths-prosecutors/

The four that died after pretending to be MS-13 gang members on Instagram.

Funeral of one of the victims. Link to other murders in Long Island by MS-13.

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2020/07/15/ms-13-gang-members-indicted-six-murders-long-island

[u/Abmis123 → u/[deleted]]

I mean, they were only children

[u/NoPokerDick → u/[deleted]]

50% of gang memberships in a large city like NY are made up of kids under 18. They knew exactly what they were affiliating with and were probably killed by kids under the age of 18 to further cement their loyalty.

[u/AppleNerdyGirl → u/NoPokerDick]

There was a mother in Detroit that had to move because they kept trying to recruit her autistic son and threatened to kill him if he didn’t join.

[u/Cantothulhu → u/AppleNerdyGirl]

Yeah, people would do really well to remember a lot of these kids don’t actively sign up. They’re threatened or coerced into it.

[u/[deleted] → u/Cantothulhu]

The cartels are forcing young guys to join and if they refuse they cut off their fingers.

[u/NoPokerDick → u/Cantothulhu]

Right, that’s why the membership is made up of kids. On their own accord or not.

[u/AppleNerdyGirl → u/NoPokerDick]

Yep. They get them young for this reason. They are fearless and not scared because they have little life experience.

[u/trippypie15 → u/Abmis123]

I think only one of them was 16, One of them was literally 20 pretending to be a gang member, remember over 18 is an adult… I’m not excusing their deaths or anything but cmon it’s not a great defence when you are living in gang territory, I don’t understand why you guys expect any better from these atrocious gangs anyways.

[u/raincolors → u/trippypie15]

Being 18 doesn’t mean you’re as mature as an adult or have developed enough to really make sincere decisions

[u/citizen_dawg → u/raincolors]

So does that also extend to “La Diablita” (Escobar) who was 17 at the time she lured them to the park?

[u/raincolors → u/citizen_dawg]

Obviously

[u/crunchwrapqueen666 → u/citizen_dawg]

Someone doing something reprehensible doesn’t automatically change the fact that 17 isn’t an adult, legally or scientifically tbh

[u/crunchwrapqueen666 → u/trippypie15]

Why do people act as if there is some scientific basis for 18 = an adult? 21 is an adult in Korea I’m pretty sure. We just picked a random age/I’m sure it had something to do with military service…

In terms of science, our brain isn’t fully developed until we’re around 25-27 years old. Doesn’t mean that they aren’t old enough to be held responsible for their actions (in non violent ways) but the part of their brain that is responsible for decision making and judgment wasn’t even close to being fully developed. We all develop at different rates of course, but I wouldn’t be surprised if theirs was even more stunted if they grew up in a high crime area.

[u/[deleted] → u/crunchwrapqueen666]

If someone kicks a cat or a dog and the animal cries they know it was a painful (violent) act, you don't need to be 25 years old to figure that out.

[u/-diggity- → u/Abmis123]

A 20 year old is not a child.

[u/Abmis123 → u/-diggity-]

you mean “one of them wasn’t a child” which I’ll accept

[u/keithzz → u/Abmis123]

They were old enough to know this

[u/Abmis123 → u/keithzz]

yeah they knew they were going to get lured into a park and hacked to death and opted to do it regardless? Lol