Four gang members killed three people in the California woods just to get a promotion

A federal jury convicted four MS-13 members for three gruesome murders in 2017 where victims were left in the Angeles National Forest.

Joining a group should keep you safe. But for three men in Los Angeles, trust ended in a quiet forest with knives and machetes.

WHAT HAPPENED

Government lawyers say a violent group called MS-13 ruled parts of the San Fernando Valley. To get higher ranks, members had to kill.

In 2017, the group targeted three men. One was lured into a car, driven to the mountains, and killed. They carved out his heart.

Another man died because the gang thought he talked to police in El Salvador. A third man died for lying about his rank in the gang.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS

4 gang members convicted of murder and gang conspiracy.

• 3 victims killed and left in the Angeles National Forest.
• 1 victim had his heart carved out in the mountains.
• 1 victim was killed for leaving El Salvador without gang permission.
• 4 men now face mandatory life sentences in prison.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

How does a group gain so much power that young men feel they must kill to belong? This story shows a deep local issue.

We must ask why beautiful parks are becoming dumping grounds. How can we stop gang rules from replacing real laws?

THE OTHER SIDE

Defense lawyers fought the charges in court during the trial. But the jury did not buy their arguments and found all four men guilty.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

The four men will face sentencing on October 20. They each face mandatory life sentences in federal prison.

This keeps these men off the streets. But the pain for the families of the victims will last much longer.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

How many other bodies are still hidden in the Angeles National Forest?

• What is being done to stop MS-13 from recruiting more young people in Los Angeles?
• How did the suspects manage to hide these crimes for so many years before the trial?