Latin Kings Goonies

October 10, 2010, New York City

Brian Cepeda, 16, one of nine gang members arrested for sodomy, torture, and robbery

Nine members of the Latin King Goonies gang have been arrested for the brutal torture and beatings of two gay teen boys and a 30 year old man in a blue collar Bronx neighborhood last week. During the arraingment hearing, Assistant DA Theresa Gottlieb stated that prior to the torture and beatings of the trio each victim was asked: “Is it true that you’re a fag?”

The defendants did not enter pleas to charges which include robbery, assault, sodomy, and unlawful imprisonment which are being prosecuted as Hate Crimes. The most serious of the charges carries a 25 year prison term. A ninth suspect is being sought by police.

The gang members heard a rumor that one of their teenage recruits was gay. On the night of October 3, 2010, they located the boy, stripped and beat him then sodomized him with a toilet plunger handle until he confessed to being gay. The Latin King Goonies, all fired up, then sought out a second offender and beat and tortured him. The third victim, the alledged lover of the first victim, was then invited to one of the gang members’ home where he was burned, beaten, tortured, and sodomized with a miniature baseball bat for hours. Two of the gang members then went to the victim’s home where they confronted his brother, binding his hands with rope, taping his mouth shut, then beating him. After demanding money and jewelry from the man, they threw a mattress on top of him, stole a big screen television and other items before leaving the home with vows of death if the victim talked to police.

The suspects: Ildefonzo Mendez, 23; Elmer Confresi, 23; David Rivera, 21; Steven Caraballo, Denis Peitars, Nelson Falu and Bryan Almonte, all 17; and Brian Cepeda, 16. Bronx Criminal Court Judge Harold Adler set bail for Peitars and Caraballo at $100,000 bond or $50,000 cash; the other six were held without bail.

On October 26, 2010, police dropped the charges against Brian Cepeda and two others, citing insufficient evidence. Charges stand against he remaining eight gang members charged in the original indictment. Other arrests are expected.

 

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