An MS-13 gang member is being tried for murdering a man wearing a jersey with NFL quarterback Peyton Manning’s number on it to move up within the gang.
Jose Suarez pleaded not guilty to the 2017 murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla in Long Island. Prosecutors say Suarez and his fellow gang members chose to kill the victim because he was wearing a Manning jersey with number 18 on it, suggesting the victim was part of the rival 18th Street gang.
“The only way he could rise up the ranks … was to commit outrageous acts of violence, including murder,” a U.S. Assistant Attorney told a Long Island courtroom.