A Bronx gang member, George Melende was convicted to life without parole. He was involved in a gruesome 2005 murder, and was convicted for the first-degree murder of Dennis Rivera.

The incident happened in 2005 when three Latin Kings gang members tortured Rivera for a day and a half. During this time, victim was forced to drink drano, his genitals were branded with a scalding hammer, and was subjected to electric shocks.

After this gruesome torture, he was strangled to death by crushing his throat with a baseball bat and set fire to his body in a parking lot behind Yankee Stadium.