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Cruz and Martinez allegedly attacked the teen in the vicinity of Sutphin Boulevard and 94th Avenue.
By Forum Staff
Two reputed members of the MS-13 street gang, both Jamaica residents have been charged with stabbing a teenage boy, back in August, in the shadows of the Long Island Railroad Station in Jamaica.
The defendants pummeled the victim before stabbing him multiple times in the back, torso and arm.
“The two defendants in this case are alleged to be members of the notorious MS-13 street gang. A young man, just a teenager, was viciously beaten and stabbed repeatedly and is lucky to be alive today. This kind of brutality is unacceptable in a civilized society and shows a disregard for human life,” said DA Richard Brown.
Dani Cruz, 25, of Princeton Street and Maxwell Martinez, 24, of 164 Street, both of Jamaica, were arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging them with second-degree attempted murder and first- and second-degree assault. Cruz and Martinez each face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
According to the charges, at approximately 10:25 p.m. on August 31, the defendants approached the unidentified victim in the vicinity of Sutphin Boulevard and 94th Avenue. The victim, a 17-year-old boy, was riding a bike when he was struck with an unknown object, causing him to fall off the bicycle.
The defendants then repeatedly punched and kicked the teenager. They continued to beat the victim and then began stabbing him over and over in his back, torso and arm. The teen was then taken to the hospital where he was treated for extensive nerve damage to his arm and had surgery.
Cruz and Martinez were spotted blocks from the scene of the stabbing at a bodega, located at 143-09 95th Ave., where they were arrested on unrelated charges. Cruz was inside the bodega and Martinez was in the rear of the location, attempting to gain access to the basement. When taken into custody, the defendants’ clothes and shoes were smeared and splattered with fresh blood.
The defendants’ clothes and shoes were recovered and submitted to the Office of the Medical Examiner for DNA testing, where it was determined that the blood recovered from the defendants’ clothing and footwear were a match for the victim’s blood. Subsequently, both defendants were arrested for the stabbing of the 17-year-old victim.
Cruz stated at the time of his arrest that he “was in the deli the entire time. I never left,” but did admit to being a member of MS-13. Cruz allegedly added that he was “drinking and did not remember what happened that night.”
Martinez, also affirmed his affiliation with MS-13 and said “the blood on my pants are from cuts I have. I had one construction accident … I did not stab anyone.”
Mara Salvatrucha (MS), also known as MS-13 (the 13 representing their affiliation to the Mexican mafia), is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Members of MS-13 are characterized by tattoos covering the body, including the face, and by the use of their own sign language. They are notorious for their violence and a sub- cultural moral code based on merciless retribution. Their wide-ranging activities have drawn the attention of the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who have initiated wide-scale raids against known and suspected gang members, arresting hundreds across the United States.
