A teenager will spend the next 40 years in prison for the gruesome killing of another teen at a Gaithersburg, Maryland, park.
Juan Gutierrez-Vasquez, 17, was one of four MS-13 gang members who took part in stabbing 18-year-old Christain Villagran-Morales more than 150 times at Malcolm King Park in June 2016, Montgomery County prosecutors said.
A fifth person, 20-year-old Vanesa Alvarado, had lured Villagran-Morales to the park, promising him sex and marijuana. Alvarado was sentenced to 40 years in prison in May 2017.
In court Thursday, Gutierrez-Vasquez's defense argued the teen was just 16 at the time of the stabbing and MS-13 gang members had threatened to kill him if he didn't take part in the killing.
The judge showed Gutierrez-Vasquez no lieniency and sentenced him to life in prison with all but 40 years suspended.
"This is an important case to set a very strong message out to the public that these gang members cannot recruit young people to do their bidding," said Ramon Korionoff, spokesperson for the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office.
