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Newark Schoolyard Killer Gets 195-Year Prison Sentence

Newark

Former Newark man, then 15, was sentenced to 195 years in prison for his role in the killing of three friends and the attack on a fourth victim in a Newark schoolyard.

Gerardo Gomez's was convicted of murder, attempted murder and related charges for the killing of Terrance Aeriel, Iofemi Hightower and Dashon Harvey in the playground of Mount Vernon School.

In addition, Natasha Aeriel, the fourth victim, was sexually assaulted and shot in the head, but she survived.

In January 2013 Gomez was sentenced to 195 years in state prison. However, Gomez's appeal argued that photos - depicted him hand gestures that denoted their relationship to MS-13 - were improperly allowed as evidence during his trial.

Gomez and his co-defendants -who had ties to Central American gang known as MS-13, collectively were sentenced to more than 1,000 years in prison.

1,000