A pastor says ways to end the crime spree carried out by the prolific MS-13 gang must be found after four members were linked to 10 murders across Las Vegas in the past year.

‘We’re literally seeing the type of Third World violence right here in what we are calling a civilized society,’ Pastor Troy Martinez told Fox 5. 

The 52-year-old has spent his career working with and trying to reform gang members, but said the string of murders is indicative of a growing problem.

The four alleged gang members were named in a federal lawsuit as Jose Diaz Orelana, 22, Luis Reyes-Castillo, 24, David Perez Manchame, 19, and Miguel Torres-Escobar, 20. 

The men, who each came into the country illegally from El Salvador, now face charges of first degree murder and kidnapping, among others, and if convicted could spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

They are also suspects in nine other murders, according to the federal lawsuit.

‘We cannot wait until there are 10 bodies in the desert, hotel rooms, wherever else they’re dumped,’ Pastor Martinez said, expressing his urge for a call to action. 

The federal lawsuit detailed one of the cases, stating suspects saw a member of a rival gang outside a down town club and convinced him to get in their car. 

They then allegedly tied him up as they drove him to a location outside the city before repeatedly stabbing and shooting him. 

He was then dismembered and his body parts were dumped in a secluded part of the city.

Pastor Martinez said he is working with schools, churches and the police to teach teens about the dangers of gangs before they reach the age where they might be tempted to join one. 

‘Many gangs have their own trademarks, their own style,’ Martinez said, referring to the 10 brutal murders committed over the past year.

‘MS-13 is known for overture, known for making people suffer – brutal and violent murders to send fear into other gangs and into the community. And parents should be veyr concerned their child is not safe in a community where gang members are able to kill people, kill them and dump their bodies all over our valley.

‘If we’re not working with the young people, be sure that the gang members are.’ 

He also urged parents to be vigilant when observing their children and any new behaviors – warning them to look out for signs that could indicate a teen may be being recruited into a gang. 

‘We have directly worked with many gangs, including MS-13. There’s two places that your child will end up: that’s either dead or in prison,’ he told Fox.  

The Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo also expressed his concern regarding the nature of the murders and the individuals suspected of committing them. 

‘We’re seeing young and younger people committing more violent crimes, including murder,’ he told the news station. 

‘That’s concerning.’ 

He gave details about the 10 murders and their links back to MS-13 on Monday, and said there are roughly 50 undocumented members of that gang in the valley. 

In total five suspects have been arrested, however one has not been named because he is a juvenile.  

All of the victims were either were shot or stabbed numerous times. According to police, six of the 10 victims were kidnapped before being murdered on the outskirts of town (Pictured, victims Izzak Towery, left, and Richard Gaudio, right)

The murders were committed between March 2017 and March 2018. At least two of the victims were involved with MS-13 (Pictured, victims Juan Carlos Estrada Raya, left, and Ricardo Olivas, right)

On Monday Lombardo gave more details about the 10 individuals murdered over the past year.   

‘Our investigation this far has recovered 18 firearms, which include an AR-15, semi-automatic pistols and shotguns,’ Capt Plummer said. ‘Eight of those guns were stolen in Metro’s jurisdiction; one in Henderson.’   

The suspects, believed to be in the US illegally, have been charged with kidnapping, assault with intent to commit murder, first-degree murder, use of a firearm resulting in death and crimes occurring on federal land.    

The victims were identified as Daniel Clark, Richard Gaudio, Carlos Pachaca-Rodriguez, Arquimidez Sandoval-Martinez, Juan Carlos Estrada Raya, Jose Hernandez, Ricardo Olivas, Izzak Towery, Earl Ryan and Rony Fuentes.

The murders were committed between March 2017 and March 2018. 

At least two of the victims, Pachaca-Rodriguez and Sandoval-Martinez, were involved with MS-13. Several of the victims were affiliated with other Mexican gangs. 

According to police, six of the 10 victims were kidnapped before being murdered on the outskirts of town. 

The suspects were taken into custody on Jones Boulevard on March 7 as they were on their way to kill another person, according to homicide Captain Robert Plummer who was also at the news conference.

‘The suspects involved in these crimes are extremely violent,’ said Lombardo. ‘They kill their victims over as little as identifying with another gang or participating in street level narcotic sales.’ 

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Can anything good come out of a place called ‘Sin City’? Well, Christians in Las Vegas, Nevada say there’s a whole lot more than gambling going on, and they’re hoping it will soon spread to the rest of the nation.A City on FireWhen thinking of Las Vegas, the last thing that probably comes to mind is churches – but believe it or not this city is home to a number of on-fire congregations that believe their city is ripe for revival.Pastors Paul and Denise Goulet of International Church of Las Vegas say this city of 1.5 million people is much more than gamblers and partiers on the strip. They say what’s happening here is nothing short of revival.

Pastor Paul said, “I like to say we’re not praying for revival…we’re in revival. Because if I’m winning the lost, if I’m helping the poor; if I’m educating the uneducated, if I’m reaching the un-reached, I’m in revival.”

Last fall, the Goulets helped sponsor The Call Las Vegas when more than 10,000 people packed the Thomas and Mack Center for 12 hours of prayer and fasting for the city.

“This is my home. I want to see something change. I want to see prostitutes turn to Christ, I want to see the lost and the lonely just open up their arms and say, I want God. This is not a city that’s been forgotten,” Las Vegas resident Ashley Woods said.

“I want to see casinos become these massive houses of prayer. Crazy right? And I want people to come to here to get healed instead of to gamble!” said another resident.

“This has been called sin city and we know that we are here to cause the sins of the city to go away,” Pastor Troy Martinez of East Vegas Christian Center said.

Martinez says his church is uniquely situated with a panoramic Vegas view.

“We consider ourselves the East Gate.and in the Old Testament, the sins of the city would be led out of the East Gate into the wilderness and beyond,” he said.

Strange Bedfellows

Martinez recently teamed up with the mayor’s office to tackle serious issues such as homelessness, crime, and the huge Methamphetamine problem.

CBN News was there as Martinez and Mayor Oscar Goodman made a public service announcement to help the more than 15,000 homeless across the city.

The alliance between the faith community and the mayor – a Jewish attorney once famous for defending members of the mafia – may seem like an odd one. But Goodman says it makes perfect sense.

“I think it’s great – because government can only do so much. We only have so much money. We only have so much manpower,” the mayor said. “This gives us a whole new set of eyes and ears and brains who are able to address these issues – these social issues – which are endemic in a community and resolve them. So I think it’s a great partnership.”

Martinez says since they’ve been working with the city, gang murders have dropped dramatically and violent crime has gone down about 43 percent in targeted areas.

“They called us the Christian Crime fighters.” he said.

What Happens in Vegas, Doesn’t Stay

One commercial has almost become the city’s motto? You know the one… “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.?” Paul and Denise say that sentiment is simply not true.

“Because if someone comes here and get a sexual disease, guess what? People are going to hear about it when they leave town. If someone comes here and loses all their money and loses their home – it doesn’t stay in Vegas – it’s a fantasy. Everything that happens here goes home with them.”

What they really hope does go home with people — is a touch from God.

“They come here to our conferences or to our church, they get touched and they go back and change their world,” said Pastor Denise.

Martinez said, “I’ve been speaking out for years that a great revival would come to this city – and when it happens here, it’s not going to stay here. What happens in Vegas will touch the world

Following the worst mass shooting in modern US history, in which a man killed at least 59 people and injured more than 500, tributes are paid and vigils held as Americans reel from the attack.

• Las Vegas shooting – latest updates

Two women leave the area where the attack took place, with the Mandalay Bay hotel in the background

Police keep watch outside the trauma department at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas

A police officer stands behind crime scene tape cordoning off the scene

People hold a vigil for the victims of the shooting at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville

New York University students pay their respects to those who died

Donald and Melania Trump, along with Mike and Karen Pence, take part in a moment of silence in front of the White House

Two broken windows at the Mandalay Bay hotel, from where the shooter attacked festivalgoers

A National Park Service worker lowers US flags to half mast on the grounds of the Washington Monument

Carolyn Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas, speaks to the media as Pastor Troy Martinez and Pastor Paul Goulet look on during a prayer vigil outside Las Vegas City Hall

People hold signs and the Nevada state flag during the city hall vigil

A woman at the vigil with a sign urging people to stay strong following the attack

Students and local people write messages of encouragement on a noticeboard at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

A view from a nearby building of the scene at Route 91 country music festival at 10.08pm local time.

People wearing veils take part in an anti-gun march from Union Square Park to Times Square in New York City

People stand in front of illuminations on the steps of Greene Memorial United Methodist church in Roanoke, Virginia

A message on a video board during a moment of silence before Kansas City Chiefs’ NFL game against Washington Redskins in Kansas City, Missouri

Two women embrace during a candlelit vigil at the junction of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard

People pay tribute to those who died at a memorial on the Las Vegas strip

A police officer writes a message on a sign during a vigil on the Las Vegas strip

NEWS: OCT 02 Las Vegas Mass Shooting

LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 02: Rev. Troy Martinez (R) looks on during a prayer vigil outside Las Vegas City Hall in response to Sunday’s mass shooting on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A lone gunman opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest country music festival on October 1, leaving 59 dead and hundreds wounded. (Photo by Marc Sanchez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2017/10/02/how-las-vegas-shooting-unfolded/106247534

University of Nevada Las Vegas students attended a candlelight vigil on Monday night, less than 24 hours after a gunman killed dozens and wounded hundreds at a country music festival. (Oct. 3) AP

LAS VEGAS — Fifty-nine times the gong sounded, each bellow echoing off the sharp white walls of the Guardian Angel Cathedral on the Las Vegas strip. Some beats were harsh, like there was anger in the mourner’s swing. Others were faint, as if they could barely muster the strength.

But every beat of the gong, loud or soft, represented the same thing – a life cut short.

“This evening, I am grateful to all who we have all come together,” said Bishop Joe Pepe, of the Diocese of Las Vegas, as he wiped away tears Monday night. “In the face of this tragedy, we need each other.”

This gong was sounded over and over in front of about 300 mourners at a multi-faith vigil in Las Vegas just one day after the deadliest mass shooting in American history. Gunman Craig Paddock, 64, opened fire on a country music festival from a hotel room window on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort, killing at least 59 and injuring over 500 people.

At least a few of the people at Monday’s vigil had been at the festival when the gunshots began, and most knew someone who had. Through dozens of conversations with Las Vegas residents, it became clear that most everyone knew someone – a loved one, a co-worker, a friend of a friend – who had been hurt in the attack.

A motion graphic explaining how the events unfolded when Stephen Paddock opened fire from his hotel room on concert goers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Ramon Padilla, Janet Loehrke George Petras, Jim Sergent USA TODAY

“It was a 50-50 chance we could’ve been a that concert last night,” said Tobi Thomas, whose daughter had a friend that narrowly escaped. “It’s devastating. It’s sad. It’s scary. I’ve just been in bed all day.”

The vigil offered a comfort to residents like Thomas. Mourners sat among tall stained glass windows and colorful murals as they listened to religious leaders from the city’s Catholic, Jewish, Protestant and Muslim communities.

More: Las Vegas shooting: How to find your loved ones

Related: Pulse survivor on Las Vegas massacre: ‘It hurts’

Las Vegas shooting: What we know now

The cathedral sits sandwiched between the massive Encore casino and a strip mall with a hookah lounge, a souvenir shop and an all-you-can-eat buffet. An all-gold Trump tower loomed across the street, glistening in the sunset as the vigil began.

This was Las Vegas in a nutshell, and community leaders urged the mourners not to let it change.

Stephen Sisolak, Clark County Commission chairman, insisted that the heavy-armed gunman could have attacked anywhere, but it was preparedness of Las Vegas Metropolitan police and casino security had prevented a tragedy far worse. Sisolak praised the city’s first responders, but also its everyday folk, who had responded so generously that “now you can’t get an appointment to donate blood until next week.”

But Sisolak drew the largest applauds of the night when he announced that a Go Fund me page designed to raise money for the families of the shooting victims had raised more than $1.8 million as the time of the vigil.

“Las Vegas will never be quite the same as a result for this,” Sisolak said during the vigil. “But it doesn’t matter if this is Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Little Rock or Lansing, Michigan. This could have happened anywhere. … We cannot let the heinous acts of one individual effect our lives.”

Another vigil, this one at City Hall, opened in prayer.

“It’s a heavy heart we are gathered today,” began Pastor Troy Martinez. “We combine strength and salvation and look to Jesus. He is the Shepard that will carry the sheep.”

Surrounded by various city, religious and public safety leaders, Mayor Carolyn Goodman addressed her city and the dozens who had come out weep together and pray for those who had been killed and injured in the shooting.

“Our city has a broken heart,” Goodman said. “Everyone in his community has been touched by the loss of these lives and the horror at Mandalay Bay by a sick, horrible human being.”

Las Vegas attack: Who is Stephen Paddock? Police say he killed at least 59

More: Las Vegas shooting: Don’t feel helpless

Related: Country music world unites for their ‘family’

She said she is grateful to see the citizens give back in the dire times, along with leaders from across the country, including the governor of Connecticut where the Sandy Hook shooting occurred and the Mayor of Orlando where the shooting at Pulse nightclub had happened.

“These are my folks,” said U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nevada, telling the crowd that her office will continue to act as a clearinghouse of information to the public.

The community will “grieve today” before moving forward and “start talking about why we don’t need one more moment of silence in Congress for victims of gun violence,” Titus said.

Clark County schools Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky said the decision to hold school Monday was to make sure students had resources available to them.

A woman working at the Route 91 Harvest in Las Vegas describes the scene as shots rang out, turning a country concert into the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history. USA TODAY

“It was about not having students sit at home alone watching TV and not having someone to talk to, … not having an adult to which they could come to grips with the tragedy,” Skorkowsky said.

The district has offered counselors to the community, he said, to assist victims to process the events that unfolded at Mandalay Bay and to also help parents speak to children about what happened.

Maria Aguilar, 59, watched as the leaders spoke. Though she is originally from Mexico, Aguilar said Las Vegas is her home. Her niece works at Mandalay Bay but was luckily off on Sunday when the shooting happened.

“Words can’t explain my relief. But of course, I am still devastated,” Aguilar said, adding that she had come to city hall to show respect for those who were not as fortunate as her family.

Her granddaughter, she said, had tried to buy tickets for the festival. She was unsuccessful. It was “another blessing.”

Chelsea Maidman was working at Planet Hollywood when she suddenly saw droves of people running by the hotel. Then they went into lockdown, she said.

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Las Vegas shooting leaves more than 50 dead at Mandalay Bay

Rumors swirled. There were two shooters on the loose. There was a bomb. People were repeating unverified information they heard on police scanners, causing chaos, Maidman said. While hiding in the basement, she texted all her friends who could have been on the strip during the time of the shooting.

“I felt sick to my stomach. We had no idea what the truth was,” she said.

One by one, Maidman received texts from those who said they were alright.

Now, advocates are ramping up efforts to bring peace to gang-infested communities.

“We are working tirelessly, said Pastor Troy Martinez, Rebuilding Every City Around Peace.

Pastor Martinez was at the scene Tuesday night comforting the family of 23-year-old Adan Gavilanes.

“At that moment they’re not thinking right,” Pastor Martinez said.  “They’re willing to go and take vengeance, and so we’re there to break that cycle of violence.”

According to Pastor Troy, preventing retaliation will help reduce what might be a growing problem.

“We are seeing an extreme amount of increase in gang recruitment and gang violence, and it’s very difficult,” Pastor Martinez said.

Martinez is a former gang member who turned to religion to change his lifestyle; now he’s chair of the community advocacy group Rebuilding Every City Around Peace.

Rebuilding Every City Around Peace are in the process of training more people to respond to crime scenes that are gang-related.  Pastor Martinez says it takes a collaborative effort to end the violence.

Metro’s gang unit was put back together after a significant increase in violent crimes.  Most of the crimes have been directly linked to gangs.

Sheriff Joe Lombardo dismantled the gang unit last year in a move he calls “decentralizing.” But after some time, the sheriff revitalized the gang unit.

“So basically those detectives went out into the area commands, but over a period of time their workload became overwhelming, so they didn’t have that concentrator or that centralized function,” Sheriff Lombardo said.

Metro couldn’t say if and how effective the unit has been thus far, but Pastor Martinez believes the war against gangs should be a priority.

The Rev. Troy Martinez of the East Vegas Christian Center speaks during a community faith meeting about the rise in murders in Las Vegas at Las Vegas City Hall on Thursday, April 6, 2017.

Metropolitan Police Department Detective Tony Morales talks during a community faith meeting about the rise in murders in Las Vegas at Las Vegas City Hall on Thursday, April 6, 2017.

North Las Vegas police Capt. Mike Carmody talks about efforts to get community members with information about crimes to talk to police during a community faith meeting about the rise in murders in Las Vegas at Las Vegas City Hall on Thursday, April 6, 2017

Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Sasha Larkin talks during a community faith meeting about the rise in murders in Las Vegas at Las Vegas City Hall on Thursday, April 6, 2017.

The Rev. Fouston Jordan of Rivers of Living Water Ministries raises his hand while listening to a worship song during a community faith meeting about the rise in murders in Las Vegas at Las Vegas City Hall on Thursday, April 6, 2017

UPDATE FEB. 22: Pastor Troy Martinez and his wife have worked to curb gang violence across the city.

In the last week, they visited two homicide scenes that could be gang related. The growing number of violent crimes is a reason they say they need the help of the reinstated Gang/Vice Bureau.

“As a parent and grandparent it’s very heartbreaking,” said Sandra Martinez.

The couple works with the organization RECAP, which visits gang-related crime scenes after they happen. In the last year, they have worked 43 gang-related killings.

“Getting involved in a gang means you have prison, death and all sort of misery coming your way,” said Pastor Troy, who is a former gang member.

13 Action News Crime and Safety Expert and retired LVMPD Lt. Randy Sutton says gangs support themselves on crimes such as burglary, robbery and prostitution.

He believes if the unit can monitor gangs more closely, the community could see crime go down across the board.

“When you are effective in curtailing a gang, you are effective in curtailing crime,” Sutton said.

ORIGINAL STORY

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced the creation of a Gangs/Vice Bureau.

The gang unit disbanded about a year ago — decentralizing those officers and stationing them in different area commands.

According to police, 166 people’s lives were taken in homicides reported in the LVMPD’s jurisdiction in 2016. Every other category of violent crime also saw an increase.

While cities across the nation are also experiencing increases in violence, a common belief is the incidents are driven by gangs and guns in communities, according to an LVMPD press release. The overwhelming message is to focus on the issues that appear to be behind most of the violent crime. These issues come down to gangs and vice.

The patrol area commands are responsible for responding to all calls for service in the valley. That workload does not give patrol officers the ability to concentrate their efforts on the gang/vice nexus.

Therefore, a new Gangs/Vice Bureau is being created that will specifically focus on Sheriff Joe Lombardo’s initiative to reduce violent crime in the Las Vegas community.

This change is expected to be implemented in the next couple of weeks.

Patti and two other teens entered the store wearing masks and attempted to steal items, police said.

8 News NOW anchor Christianne Klein spoke with the young teen’s father who has an important message for parents.

Patti’s father Martin was too distraught to appear on camera. He and his wife are trying to help their young daughter understand her brother isn’t coming home.

He had a simple message: Keep an eye on your children. Check on them, because he thought everything was ok and it wasn’t.

That message was also relayed by police and community leaders during a news conference.

“This young boy, 13 years of age would have never done this act of theft that got him in a situation where he lost his life if he would have been alone,” said Pastor Troy Martinez.

It was a decision that cost 13-year-old Fabriccio Patti his life. Now, his parents are left mourning the loss of their only son.

“All the information that I have is this was a really good family and good parents. He wasn’t from a broken home. It should never have happened. This whole thing should never have happened,” said Metro Lt. Dan McGrath.

That message was echoed several times during the Tuesday news conference.

Her voice breaking, Metro Captain Roxanne McDaris made an emotional plea to the entire community noting one mistake can forever alter lives.

“It’s not news that children in a middle school should be given,” she said. “It’s something that we want our parents and our children to know, that one decision, that one mistake can change your life.”

That mistake is also affecting Fabriccio’s schoolmates as well.

His father said, his young friends are also grieving and are gathering mementos to remember his son.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Beneath flags lowered in mourning outside Las Vegas police headquarters, dozens of southern Nevada community, religious, police and political leaders called Friday for peace and prayers following shootings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota that have stunned the nation.

Church pastor and religious community network leader Troy Martinez invoked the pre-Civil War words of President Abraham Lincoln, and said a house divided against itself cannot stand.

“We want to actively pursue peace in our city,” Martinez said as he called for leaders of religious faiths holding services Saturday and Sunday to talk with their congregations about stemming violence.

Muslim Imam Mujahid Ramadan noted the range of black, white, Latino, Sikh, Jewish and Christian representatives among the crowd of about 75 showing solidarity. He called for building on goodness in the community.

Jon Ponder, a preacher and leader of a prison release re-entry program, prayed for those affected by the shootings Thursday night of police officers in Dallas and the earlier slayings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman called the violence “heart wrenching, disturbing and sadly repetitive.”

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo pointed to ties formed in recent years between his officers and community members in programs including RECAP, or Rebuilding Every City Around Peace.

“We want to stand up and say, ‘Not in our city,’” he said.

Las Vegas police drew scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department’s office of Community Oriented Policing COPS and implemented a range of reforms beginning in 2013 after a series of high-profile officer-involved shootings over several years.

After the Dallas killings, Las Vegas patrol officers doubled up in patrol vehicles.

Sgt. Jeff Clark, a department spokesman, said Friday the move was a precaution and not a reaction to a specific threat. He said officers will continue to work in pairs, and cadets will be kept off the streets, for at least the time being.

Plans for a Friday night Las Vegas police honors and awards ceremony were unchanged, although Clark said security around the event will be tight.

Activists planned a Saturday evening rally at a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in North Las Vegas.

Las Vegas has about 2,600 sworn police officers covering a city and most of a county with more than 2 million residents, plus more than 40 million visitors a year.