LAKE FOREST, CA – Two members of the violent gang MS-13 were convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder in a brutal machete attack that left a man nearly decapitated seven years ago, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Jose Rafael Andrade-Membreno, 29, and Edwin Diaz, 25, both of Mission Viejo, were each convicted on one count of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of committing the crime for the benefit of a street gang. The verdict came after testimony revealed the shocking violence inflicted on victim Marcos Morales in 2018.
The attack occurred at an apartment complex in Lake Forest, where Morales was ambushed by the MS-13 gang members. According to prosecutors, the victim suffered multiple stab wounds from a machete attack so severe that he was nearly decapitated. Blood evidence found at the crime scene helped investigators piece together the brutal nature of the assault.
Both defendants were also convicted on conspiracy charges related to their gang activities. The special circumstance finding makes them eligible for life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer spoke about the conviction, emphasizing the callousness and calculated violence displayed by the gang members. The case highlighted the ongoing threat posed by MS-13, a transnational criminal organization known for extreme brutality.
Investigators from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department worked for years to build the case against Andrade-Membreno and Diaz. Witnesses who came forward testified about the gang members’ allegiance to MS-13 and their involvement in violent criminal activities in the Mission Viejo and Lake Forest communities.
The victim’s family, including his sister Xiomara Berrios, attended the trial and expressed relief at the guilty verdict. The lengthy investigation and prosecution brought some measure of justice for Morales, who was killed in a senseless act of gang violence.
The conviction sends a strong message to gang members operating in Orange County that violent crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Both defendants face mandatory sentences of life without parole when they appear for sentencing.
The case represents one of several high-profile MS-13 prosecutions in California as law enforcement agencies continue efforts to dismantle the gang’s operations and hold members accountable for their crimes.
Sentencing for both defendants is expected to be scheduled in the coming weeks. They will be formally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the special circumstance murder conviction.
