Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced a major sentencing today.
Per the DA’s office, Josue aka “Shrek” Zepeda Padilla, 28, of Huntington Station, is due 20 years in prison, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision, after pleading guilty in July to Gang Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, and Kidnapping in the Second Degree.
These crimes are in connection with his role in a January 6, 2024, violent attack on a 15-year-old at the Pilgrim State Mental Facility in Brentwood.
According to investigators, Zepeda Padilla and four others lured the teen to the Huntington Train Station, stole his money, and brutally assaulted him. They transported him to Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, placed a hood over his head, and continued the assault inside an abandoned building, striking him with a rock and stabbing him in the neck.
As previously reported, the attack left the child unconscious; somehow, he survived the brutal beating, and was treated for extensive brain and head injuries at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Zepeda Padilla—one of seven members and associates of the Huntington Criminal Locates Salvatrucha or “HCLS” clique of the MS-13 street gang—fled upon his victim’s recovery, and was later captured and extradited from North Carolina.
“This coordinated attack nearly cost a child his life. This defendant and his associates showed no mercy when they brutally assaulted, kidnapped, and left a 15-year-old unconscious in an abandoned building,” said DA Tierney.
“Today’s sentence ensures this defendant will spend the next two decades in prison. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners whose tireless work made this prosecution possible.”
Zepeda Padilla pleaded guilty on July 3rd. His co-defendants have received sentences ranging from 10 to 52 years.
He is being represented by Anthony Rutkowski, Esq.