Here's what Ryder said about alleged MS-13 killing

Now that a 17-year-old from New Cassel  has been arrested and charged with allegedly murdering an MS-13 witness earlier this month, let's see what Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder actually said about the beating death of Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez and its connection to changes in New York's criminal justice laws.

Advocates of the changes -- approved by the progressive Democratic majority in Albany last year -- lashed out en masse against Ryder last week for linking Rodriguez'  death to new rules that require witness names and addresses to be given to suspects within 15 days of arraignment.

Led by members of the Democratic state senate press office, advocates insisted Ryder had put out fake news: Yes, Nassau County Court Judge Helene Gugerty had turned over identifying information to MS-13 lawyers about Rodriguez, who was scheduled to testify against gang members in an upcoming trial. But the lawyers say they never gave that information to their clients.

Ryder was forced to issue a statement that he knew of  "no direct link" between the information delivery and Rodriguez' death.

But he never said there was.

According to a video of his Feb. 5 news conference, Ryder said intimidation of two MS-13 witnesses, including Rodriguez, began after identifying information was turned over to the gang members' lawyers and the Jan. 6 trial delayed.


"We don't know if defendant's  counsel turned that information over  to the defendants. But we do know, right after that time period ... we started this pattern of intimidation," Ryder said.

He also noted that crime had spiked in Nassau after the reforms took effect Jan. 1. "Can we directly relate it, like in this case?

"Until we have the proven facts, that's why I gave you the facts so you can make your own assumption."

At a hearing into criminal justice reform last week, Ryder said that he had been accused of  "politicizing" the issue.

"I am not politicizing the issue. I do not have an agenda....I will speak with the data. I will give you the truth, I will give you the facts. Then you make your own interpretation. I said that last week and it came around against me. "

He referred to the new rules that require witnesses to provide their names and addresses to the accused.

"This is the one that is close and dear to me. Our victim did get brutally beaten and killed by MS-13 in the New Cassel area.... I went to the wake. I spoke to his sister. I met the family. It’s a horrible horrible crime that no one should go through. The people of Westbury deserve better. That witness deserved better."

"I never said there was a direct link to justice reform. I just gave the facts. I left the interpretation up to the people. Again I don't know there is a direct link."

But Ryder added. "We need to do more for our victims. All of our victims"