4 Los Angeles County men convicted of machete murders in Angeles National Forest
Four Los Angeles County men tied to the gang MS-13 have been convicted of killing three people with machetes in the Angeles National Forest.
A federal jury found the following four men guilty of racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes in aid of racketeering – murder.
- Angel Amadeo Guzman, 31, of Panorama City
- Fernando Garcia Parada, 28, of Panorama City
- Edgard Velasquez, 43, of Reseda
- Jose Jonathan Castillo, 34, of Koreatown
They all possibly face one or more life sentences in federal prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The DOJ said the four men killed three people between March 2017 and June 2017. Federal prosecutors said MS-13 ordered its members to use murder and extreme violence to earn higher positions in the gang.
For each of the murders, the four men either lured or abducted and drove the victims to the Angeles National Forest after the victims slighted the gang in different ways, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors said one painted graffiti of a rival gang, another left El Salvador without MS-13's permission and the final man overstated his position within the gang.
They were all killed in a gruesome manner, including being hacked to death with machetes, according to the DOJ.
Federal prosecutors said they have secured more than 30 convictions for similar murders tied to MS-13. In November, five other men were convicted of six murders in the Angeles National Forest.
