The man attacked by the MS-13 gang back in 2018 was found beaten to death on Feb. 2, according to the Nassau County police.
Wilmer Maldonaldo Rodriguez, the man beaten to death, was assaulted by the MS-13 gang back in 2018, according to Newsday. At the time, he was trying to intervene when two alleged MS-13 members were threatening two boys. He was beaten and stabbed, but survived his attack back in 2018, according to the news outlet.
As reported by the news outlet, Patrick Ryder, the Nassau County Police Commissioner, revealed that in the days following the initial assault on Rodriguez, the attackers were arrested “within several days for intimidating witnesses and also for the assault.”
Following his recovery, he was set to testify against the alleged gang members who assaulted him, but before he could testify, he was bludgeoned to death, according to the news outlet. Rodriguez, a 36-year-old former New Cassel resident, was homeless at the time of his death.
Ryder revealed that Rodriguez was attacked on Feb. 1, but he managed to get away from his attackers at the time.
“On Feb. 1, 2020 [Rodriguez], now victim deceased, was also beaten on and he escaped from [his attackers], and then on Feb. 2, we found Mr. Rodriguez’s body that was beaten in the back of 1113 broadway Newcastle, and he did not survive that beating,” stated Ryder, in a video from Newsday.
“This courageous man was prepared to testify against his alleged assailants at an upcoming trial, but he was brutally beaten to death before he could. This case underscores the importance of safeguarding the identities of witnesses and victims of crime, and our hearts are with Mr. Maldonado’s family and friends as we grieve his loss,” said Madeline Singas, the Nassau County District Attorney, according to Newsday.
Ryder said that the investigation into Rodriguez’s death is still ongoing, and no suspects have been identified, according to Fox News.
Initially, information regarding Rodriguez’s identity was not disclosed after the district attorney put a protection order on him. Then the information was turned over to the defense after the judge’s changed instruction pre-trial preparation for the defense. The judge also ordered that the defense lawyers for the two defendants to not disclose the information to their clients until the trial started, which was initially set for Jan. 6, according to the news outlet.
Because of new laws in place under criminal justice reform in New York, the defense was required to have all the information pertaining to the case and trial for a certain amount of days before a trial, which meant the Jan. 6 trial date was not realistic—it couldn’t happen on Jan. 6, the news outlet reported.
“That protective order, because of the new changes of law, was lifted because the trial date was set for Jan 6. That trial date did not go on Jan. 6,” Ryder said. He continued saying that right after, the pattern of intimidation started back up again, according to Newsday.
One of the defense lawyers, Greg Madey, denied sharing information regarding Rodriguez with their accused client Denis Pineda, according to the news outlet. Madey said, “I never gave him the name of those people. And he never asked me for it. I’m offended by the allegation that Denis Pineda had something to do with orchestrating this murder.”
The other defense lawyer, Justin Feinman, who was representing Elian Ramos Velasquez, said, “at this point to say that it was a defense attorney that leaked without more information is completely inappropriate.”
However, he added, saying, “I feel horrible that this happened. This should have never happened. I just don’t see how you can blame a particular judge or attorney.”
According to Newsday, a state official familiar with the new law who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record said: “Nothing in the new law prevents the district attorney from seeking and being granted a protective order for the safety of witnesses,” the person said. “Based on the facts that we understand, there was a protective order, and there was a move to lift the protective order. The judge granted that.”
