Nassau County police announced the arrest of 23-year-old Jose Quintanilla Cruz, of Hempstead, on murder charges.
WATCH video from NewsCopter7 of the search
The remains of 21-year-old Carlos Rivas-Majano, of Uniondale, were discovered in East Meadow in August. Police believe he was killed by a machete a year earlier.
An admitted MS-13 gang member was arrested shortly after the remains were found.
Police say the gang may have believed that the victim was "disrespectful" or posed a threat.
MS-13 has been blamed for at least 25 killings since January 2016 across a wide swath of Long Island.
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