In October 2018, Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez stepped in to protect two boys who were being threatened by members of the MS-13 gang on Long Island, officials said. In return, the gang members stabbed Mr. Rodriguez repeatedly and hit him in the head with a bat. Despite the vicious assault, Mr. Rodriguez agreed to testify against the gang members, who were charged with assault and witness intimidation as a result of the attack, officials said. On Sunday, Mr. Rodriguez was found beaten to death outside a home in New Cassel, N.Y., and on Wednesday, his killing became a new flash point in the debate over criminal justice changes enacted by the New York State Legislature in 2019 at the urging of progressive lawmakers. Since the start of the year, when the changes took effect, police officials and prosecutors who are unhappy about the changes have focused most of their criticism on an overhaul of the state’s bail law, which they argue has allowed criminals to go free and commit new offenses.

Source: New York Times February 06, 2020 01:05 UTC