Police Charge Alleged MS-13 Member In 2 Murders

Credit: Kat Wilcox

Police say that Raul Ponce was involved in the 2017 and 2020 murders that were tied to Uniondale, New York and Hempstead, New York. Ponce now faces two additional murder charges.

Raul Ponce, 23, of Hempstead, who is an alleged MS-13 gang member was charged with two additional murder charges involving cases from 2017 and 2020. Ponce, who is already in jail for other murder charges, was charged with two additional Murder in the second degree charges, according to police.

Police say that on March 20, 2017, Nelson Rodriguez, 37, was shot outside the apartment complex at 621 Front Street in Hempstead, New York. Rodriguez was found shot multiple times. Hector Lazlo, 18, and Pedro Rivera, 23, were arrested in July 2017 and charged with Murder in the second degree as a result of the shooting.

On October 6, 2020, a body of a teenager was found in a wooded area in the vicinity of the Uniondale Water Tower, just near Uniondale High School. According to police, the body was later identified as Osmin Campos-Sandoval, a 19-year old. Nassau County Police officials say he was killed sometime in 2016 or 2017 in a gang violence incident.

In addition to Ponce, three other Hempstead residents were charged and arrested in the Campos-Sandoval murder. Sandra Tobar Mejia, 22, Christian Rodriguez, 23, and Gerson Stanely Juarez, 24 were all involved in the killing, according to Nassau County Police.

Ponce was already in jail at the time of the additional charges being brought forward. Ponce was previously charged with murder and conspiracy in the murder of Bryan Lemus, an 18-year old. Lemus was killed in the Massapequa Preserve back in 2016.

Ponce is now currently serving time in the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow, New York, where court records show he is facing additional charges of possessing contraband in the prison facility.