Instead of turning to police, he turned to the Trinitarios, who like him, shared a Dominican heritage. #justiceforjunior #ripjunior ALL THAT MUST STOP . The men, traveling in four cars, spotted Lesandro, and one of them shouted a Trinitarios greeting at him: Sunset, Popo, then 1090, which was a password Los Sures used to identify Sunset members, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes said. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? The 2-year-old boy was shot around 12:16 p.m . However, police have said the teens murder was a case of mistaken identity. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. The jury, comprised of 11 women and one man, reached the verdict Friday after going into deliberations Thursday. Surveillance cameras reportedly caught a group of men dragging Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega before attacking him. Lesandro, who had hidden behind the counter, pleaded with the men, saying he was not the person they were looking for. After that, they will lead off summations. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. During closing arguments, some jurors were seen crying as autopsy photos were displayed. The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. Mr. Alvarez said he and other gang members tried to block Lesandro with their cars, but the teenager fled into the Cruz and Chiky Grocery, a bodega at East 183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue. UPDATE! READ: #JusticeForJunior: A Group of Men Fatally Stabbed Bronx Teen With Machete. Facing first-degree murder charges in Juniors death are alleged Trinitarios street gang members Antonio Rodriguez, Hernandez Santiago, Elvin Garcia, Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Jos Muiz and Manuel Rivera. Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole on the murder conviction. There are nine others charged in Guzman's murder that are still awaiting trial. The ADA's argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Junior's neck the medical examiner says killed him. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was dragged out of the Cruz and Chiky Grocery bodega at E. 183rd St. and Bathgate Ave in the Belmont neighborhood on Wednesday night. dragged him from the store and stabbed him to death. Meanwhile a number of Bronx businesses are learning to be 'safe havens' for people in danger after a bodega owner was criticized for not doing enough 'Junior', who was killed outside his store. The medical examiner testified she was a lumper a doctor who looks to combine injuries and conclude that they all might have contributed to death. Police have identified them as: Danel Fernandez, Kevin Alvarez, and Michael Sosa Reyes, who has not been charged in relation to Juniors killing. She said it cut the bone that protects the spinal cord and left an exit wound on the other side of his neck. (Police were stationed in the street outside court, anticipating a riot should the verdict not have come back as guilty on all counts.). 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The first verdict was announced against Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, who delivered the fatal blow with a kitchen knife that ultimately killed Guzman a year ago next week. Seeing his sons clothing proved too much to bear for Juniors father, Lesandro Guzman, who left the courtroom shortly after Oikawas testimony. Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes described how their subsets of the Trinitarios terrorized rivals, including a Trinitarios splinter group called Sunset. It also made his story easier to use as a rallying cry to target gangs that attract and control vulnerable teens like Manuel. (L-R) Leandra Feliz and Lesandro Guzman, the mother and father of Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz, leave Bronx Supreme Court after the arraignments of 12 alleged Trinitarios gang members in July 2018. In a panic, he tries to hide behind the counter. The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. That order came during a bloody feud within the Trinitarios that had pitted Sunset, which is based in Brooklyn, against Mr. Sueros two Bronx sets, the witnesses said. Add AI Research And Catching Up With Your Law School Buds To The Career Growth List -- See Also, Reach out just to catch up. Parked outside the bodega are the cars that chased Junior. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). When the attackers walk in, the worker points out where Junior is hiding, and he gets dragged outof the store. A dozen people appeared in court facing charges related to the death of 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, who was killed in the Bronx. Find Lesandro stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. My client, age 18 (and nine months, as the prosecutor liked to remind jurors), had joined a dangerous gang, the Trinitarios, and without the benefit of his mother, left behind in the Dominican Republic, made some very poor decisions that will now land him in jail probably for the rest of his life. That wound was inflicted by one defendant alone, Mr. Estrella. Is that why Junior was targeted? Prosecutors showed jurors an autopsy photo showing the lethal wound to the neck of Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz. The New York City Police Foundation announced it planned to set up a scholarship in his name. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Only by addressing these issues might other young men like Junior not be killed, and still others like four of the five defendants in this case, not be condemned to life in prison for the actions of a few seconds done by a fellow gang member which they never intended. The store owner unlocked a door leading to the area where Lesandro was hiding, Mr. Alvarez said, and told them to take the fight outside. The friend says he told Junior not to come over because it was late. We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. Following that, no amount of logic, analysis, or pleas for reason could convince jurors to set aside their emotions. Two of the clips. 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Oiwaka said Juniors clothes had to be repackaged the day after they were vouchered into evidence as the blood was soaking through the paper bags they had been stored in. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. This Aint One Of Them: Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after LesandroJunior Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Passersby try to help. But in this case, she couldnt. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. There, leaders passed around cellphone pictures of various Sunset members and asked the returning soldiers to identify the person they stabbed. Putting four young men in jail for life for a murder they didnt intend (each was either running away, or nowhere near Junior when Estrella inflicted the fatal wound) should thrill no one. Hes making more money from Hogwarts: Legacy than her anyway. (No one claims responsibility.) The defense team asked Dr. Rodriguez if any of these additional wounds contributed to the teens death. Criminal defense attorney Chris Carrion has been observing the trial from the start. On the night of Juniors murder, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members when they spotted the 15-year-old walking. We've received your submission. 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Reyes said the order implied: If you have a gun, shoot it, if you a have a knife, you stab, if you have a machete, you use it.. Goldberg hammered the medical examiner to get his point across that his client did not cause any physical injury to Junior, because a machete would have resulted in decapitation or mutilation. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence., Lesandros mother, Leandra Feliz said, Im not going to have my son back, but those killers, those murderers, theyre not going to be outside killing another kid.. "Today's verdicts will not bring Junior back. Meanwhile, during closing arguments the defense told jurors that the prosecution had failed to prove the suspects wanted to kill Junior, arguing testimony from star witnesses showed the men intended to hurt Junior, not kill him.. Officers were called to a . The blood-soaked clothes worn by slain Bronx teen Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz as he was hacked at by a machete-wielding mob were displayed to jurors at the boys murder trial Thursday, prompting several spectators to burst into tears and his anguished father to exit the courtroom. The murder of Lesandro rattled the city, prompting outrage on social media and calls for justice from elected officials and celebrities, including the rapper Cardi B and the Yankees pitcher C.C. ", If you have a gun, you shoot, he testified. Blood was splattered on the floor and counter of Cruz & Chiki Deli on Bathgate Ave and 183rd St., the store Junior was dragged from as he desperately sought refuge from his attackers, the detective said. Also consider other hobbies. Even as the evidence demonstrated that Junior was killed by only one man, Janaki Estrella-Martinez, the false narrative had taken hold and all five defendants were convicted of the highest crime in New York State murder by torture. ", "It was a terrible year, it felt like 10 years. At least 10 people had been injured in June in a series of street battles. He was a skinny kid, just 120 pounds, 56 inches tall. "This 15-year-old boy, moments before death, fought like . THE BRONX He knew they had killed the wrong guy. Warning Graphic Video Below. An order had come from Mr. Suero, he said: Go after Sunset you already know what you have to do., Mr. Reyes said he understood that to be an order to do any kind of damage. Alvarez, who testified last week as a cooperating witness, pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in a deal with Bronx prosecutors and is expected to serve no prison time. Reyes, a member of the Bad Boys one of two Trinitarios subsets said gangbangers were gathered outside Sueros apartment, just one block from the slay-scene bodega at East 183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue, when they were instructed to hunt down members of the rival Sunset crew for recently shooting a Bad Boy member. When Junior ran, the group gave chase. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said each of the . Friends and family told us that Junior wasnt in a gang and the police have no such indication, either. In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. All 14 suspects are reportedly members of the Sures set of the Trinitarios gang. But Reyes told the court that he couldnt follow through with Sueros order after looking Junior in the face. In recent months, turf wars have spiked among rival Trinitario factions. Mr. Suero had warned his members to carry a weapon at all times and said if they saw a rival member to do whatever possible to hurt the Sunset member, Mr. Alvarez said. However, all 12 alleged gang members were indicted on second degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon. But Morgan Dolan, the lead prosecutor, countered that weapons like knives and machetes kill and the gang members went in knowing that.. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was slashed in the neck with a machete at a bodega in the Bronx on June 19, 2018. In total, more than a dozen suspects have been arrested in connection to the killing. The incident revealed the barbaric tactics of a gang called the Trinitarios, and it laid bare a glaring paradox: Amid historically low crime rates in New York, police are still struggling to contain brutal violence in some neighborhoods. The night of the murder, my client, Manuel Rivera, wasnt carrying a machete; he wasnt a monster and he never intended to kill Junior. The murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, drew outrage across New York City. A bottle of hate had been uncorked and there was no way to close it. At least 10 other people have been maimed this summer in tit-for-tat attacks in the Bronx. Privacy Center | 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Guzman-Feliz for a rival when they stabbed him to death, Last defendant convicted in 2018 killing of Bronx teen Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, 5 gang members plead guilty to killing of Bronx teen, 16 members of violent Trinitarios gang charged with high-end NYC robberies in sweeping indictment, Two gang leaders convicted in murder of Junior Guzman-Feliz, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members, Juniors mom at one point screaming and sobbing in court. Fellow defendant Jose Muniz was heard saying "Trinitarios to the day I die" as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. Members of Los Sures took orders from a leader named Diego Suero, whom they called Santa Claus.. Mr. Sueros trial is expected to start soon. Erica Byfield reports. Guzman-Felizs memory has also been honored through the renaming of a street and a summer camp at a state park, as well as prompting the Safe Haven Bodega program in the city. He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken. He felt cool. Members of the NYPD Junior league attend Lesandro Guzman-Feliz's funeral cerenomy at Our . They probablywon't forget itfor the rest of their lives.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Junior gestures for someone to call 911. Closing arguments continue in the murder trial of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. : Reach out just to catch up. The convicted killers will be sentenced Tuesday, July 16. I didnt see the person who had just finished getting stabbed there, Mr. Alvarez said, choking back tears. Mr. Reyes said they falsely told the store owner that Lesandro had attacked his own grandmother. Then he walked toward Adams Place, where he sometimes met with friends. Our investigation retraces his last steps and reveals how a recent wave of violence took his life just two blocks from home. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. At around 11:30, Junior leaves, and two minutes later security cameras catch him on this corner passing near his home. She used her summation to show the jury the boys final moments repeatedly, slowing it down to show each defendants actions. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. In the video, we see the 15-year-old ask for the help from the worker of the Cruz and Chiky Grocery on E. 183rd St. in the Bronx. Students and staff from the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health and Science Charter School gathered Friday to honor Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz, who was tragically stabbed to death in 2018. Frederick Then is the 14th person to be arrested in connection with the stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz in the Bronx last June. They carried weapons for two reasons for their own protection and to use them to hurt (not kill) a Sunset. Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. Get notified about exclusive offers every week! Junior begins to run and the cars give chase. A Trinitarios ringleader, Diego Suero, issued the order to his minions, who then mistook Guzman-Feliz for a rival when they stabbed him to death outside a bodega June 20, 2018, cooperating witness and gang member Michael Sosa Reyes, 20, told Bronx Supreme Court jurors. Antonio Santiago is seen here from this other angle. They also argued their clients were pretending to stab Lesandro because gang leaders were watching the assault. Their trial provided a glimpse inside the violent Trinitarios gang, whose members mistook 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz for a rival. Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. Subscribe and get breaking news, commentary, and opinions on law firms, lawyers, law schools, lawsuits, judges, and more. Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja) on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT. A warning: These next scenes are hard to watch, and weve obscured some graphic parts. (Obtained by New York Daily News ). Juniors friend, a Trinitario, had been attacked by a rival faction and allegedly turned to Junior for help. Carrion says the testimony that all of the other wounds were superficial and did not cause Juniors death may not help the defense as much as theyd like. Prosecutors introduced three clips of video. He believed hed found a place to belong. Investigators say the group mistook Guzman-Feliz, who was not affiliated with any gang, for a member of the rival fraction of the Trinitarios gang. Junior suffered multiple wounds to his face, back, chest, legs and hands. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. Continuing coverage on the trial can be read here. What we do know is that for Junior like many teenagers growing up in gang-afflicted areas theres a fine line between hanging out on the streets and getting caught up in deadly violence. Knitting, perhaps? Nine others charged in the killing are awaiting trial. They attempted to cast blame on Mr. Martinez Estrella for Lesandros death. A string of shootings across Chicago Wednesday left at least 10 people shot, and, according to police, at least half of those who suffered gunshot wounds were under the age of 16. Reyes told the jury he chased a frightened Junior inside the bodega and lied to the storekeeper that the teen had done something to my grandmother.. The media ran with the narrative, promoted by the prosecution and the family of the deceased, that the 15-year-old was killed in a case of mistaken identification by gangbangers, viciously stabbed by all of them and killed, Caesar-like, from the cuts of many wounds. The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz alleging he was in a gang photo a notion a detective who took the stand denied. She described, in heartbreaking detail, how Guzman-Feliz looked up at her after the attack and motioned her to call 911. Go after Sunset, you know what you have to do, Suero reportedly told the men. In the beginning of the video, the teen is seen trying to hide behind the counter. Only someone in the gang would know the response. Kevin Alvarez, third from left, and Elvin Garcia, both members of the Trinitarios gang, appearing before a judge in 2018. It is unclear if Reyes is in witness protection or has also been released with other gangbanger-turned-witness Kevin Alvarez, 20. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. WPIX reported that theyre charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and conspiracy. The teen wanted to be a police. An 13th suspect has been confirmed arrested in Junior . Some Work Things Are Optional. On June 20, members of both Bronx sets had spent much of the day hunting for their enemies, Mr. Alvarez said. Then he starts running to St. Barnabas Hospital, just one block away. Members of the Police Departments Law Enforcement Explorers program attending a memorial for Lesandro last year. When The Founder Of SCOTUSblog Calles It Quits, You Know Something Is UP: 5 is a tough crowd, 6 is a waste of time. Heres how Lexis Search Advantage | Transactional unites internal and external research to create better deals faster. The only injury that caused Juniors death was clearly the neck wound. Ultimately, he was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. In a photo obtained by The Post, a smiling Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, 15, wears an NYPD Explorers jacket proudly as he looks at the camera. I explained to her what happened and she told me that I had to come back and face my consequences, he said about confessing to his mom. He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. Just 20 minutes later, Junior is pronounced dead as a result of a stab wound to the neck. But a leading police theory is the attackers mistakenly believed Junior was in a rival gang. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. Hes at home with his mother. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Its horrific, defense attorney Kyle Watters said of his client, Estrella. Hes been charged with these crimes. It brought cries for vengeance couched in the Justice for Junior slogan. We dont know. Prosecutors previously said the teen succumbed to a neck wound caused by a 4-and-a-half inch knife that severed his jugular vein. After a weeks-long trial filled with emotional testimonies, chilling revelations and graphic photos, the jury reached a verdict in the Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz murder trial. (Obtained by NY Daily News). Five gangbangers are on trial for the murder of the 15-year-old in the tragic case of mistaken identity.