Junior stumbles back into the bodega, leaving a trail of blood on the floor. Crime Scene Unit Det. The murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, drew outrage across New York City. 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. THE BRONX He knew they had killed the wrong guy. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. His English was poor. One of the Trinitarios, who turned cooperator and will now face no jail time, dragged Junior from the bodega where he was hiding and onto the street. The murder of 15-year-old Guzman-Feliz, who was known as Junior, has captivated the community and public interest, partly because the brutal June 20 attack was caught on surveillance video. All rights reserved, Long Island Driver Wanted for Running From Deadly 7-Car Pileup, Upper East Side Deli Killer Clad in Hazmat Suit Likely Serial Robber: Sources, never-before-seen footage of the savage machete attack, self-proclaimed gang member who testified against the other five alleged Trinitarios members, The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Flight Attendant Hit the Ceiling': 7 Hospitalized After Severe Turbulence Diverts Flight to Virginia, Fight for NY Casino License Heats Up as Developers Drop Coney Island Boardwalk First Look, Viral Kids' Star Ms. Rachel Is Taking a Break From Social Media After Backlash Over Co-Star Who Uses They/Them Pronouns, After a weeks-long emotional trial with chilling revelations and graphic photos, the jury reached a verdict in the 'Junior' Guzman trial, All five defendants were found guilty of murder in first and second degree, as well as conspiracy and gang assault charges, One of the defendants was heard saying 'Trinitarios 'till the day I die' as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. Our investigation retraces his last steps and reveals how a recent wave of violence took his life just two blocks from home. 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. Stuck Drafting A Tough Brief? This Tool Can Help. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. Also consider other hobbies. Guzman-Feliz's mother, Leandra Feliz, wept and screamed at times during the emotional trial.. Henry said Junior had a large open wound on the right side of his neck when she saw his body in the morgue. It led to a clearer morality tale. 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. Police had seized the footage that night and it got leaked. His understanding, as was everyones, was that the group was ordered to physically harm (not kill) any Sunset they found. Amazingly, a customer is seen purchasing an item over Juniors blood. In the beginning of the video, the teen is seen trying to hide behind the counter. Mr. Reyes testified that Lesandro responded by raising his hand and saying Que lo siete, which Mr. Reyes said signaled that the teenager was a Sunset member. The convicted killers will be sentenced Tuesday, July 16. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said each of the . Members of Los Sures took orders from a leader named Diego Suero, whom they called Santa Claus.. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. Had Junior not been stabbed in the neck during the last seconds of the attack, he would have likely walked home barely injured except for abrasions to his body caused by being dragged out of the store and punched. The trial also included shocking revelations, including when it was learned that the self-proclaimed gang member who testified against the other five alleged Trinitarios members on trial could get off because of his testimony. At about 10:30 p.m., the second-in-command of Los Sures, Frederick Then, 20, also known as Colita, told the men they were headed to the Little Italy section of the Bronx to search for their rivals. Its Wednesday, June 20. He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken. Yes, he put the knife through his neck. There were gasps from the courtroom as Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan presented the graphic photos of Juniors wounds during the testimony of the prosecutions final witness. Reyes fled to the Dominican Republic on June 21 to see his mother after learning he was present in a murder but returned the following day and handed himself in to police before entering a plea deal in August. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. People visit murder site to mourn the death of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz in Bronx in New York, United States on June 27, 2018. . Just after the stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz last June 20, members of the Trinitarios were examining a photo of gang . Recommended Stories Deadline. 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. Then he starts running to St. Barnabas Hospital, just one block away. We dont know. The trial, now in its fourth week, has been checkered with drama, with Juniors mom at one point screaming and sobbing in court in response to grisly CCTV footage shown of her sons murder. Mr. Sueros trial is expected to start soon. Diego Suero leaving the 48th Precinct in the Bronx. "If they continue the violence in the city, theyre going to get the same thing. Dimas Sanfiorenzo is the Managing Editor for Okayplayer. ", Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence, said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. Mr. Alvarez testified for the prosecution in return for a lenient sentence. On his way there, Junior was in touch with this friend, who lives on Adams Place and who, according to our reporting, is not in a gang, either. News and analysis from this company could be a game-changer for legal professionals working globally. 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. Video surveillance showed the men dragging Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz out of a Bronx bodega on his back and stabbing him with long knives and a machete. The murder of Lesandro, who went by the nickname Junior, was well documented on videotape from security cameras and the cellphones of witnesses, providing prosecutors with hard proof to support their case. The OCME said Wednesday the teens death in the Belmont area of the Bronx was a stab wound to the neck, and classified the death as a homicide. Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan used her time to go into detail about what the five defendants are accused of doing trapping Guzman at the Bronx bodega and hacking him to death with a machete. 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. The boy was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. Just two days before Junior was killed, a 14-year-old was seriously injured in this attack. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Surveillance cameras reportedly caught a group of men dragging Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega before attacking him. Privacy Center | The knife made it from the right side to the left, hit the muscle, hit the (jugular) vein, went behind the throat, hit the tissue on the back side of the mouth, Dr. Rodriguez said. But I understand why the People adopted the Junior-as-saint story. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Dixons closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Felizs neck which reportedly killed him. 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. ), It was shared millions of times on social media and in the general press. Instead, he said, he watched as other Trinitarios members dragged Junior outside and hacked him to death with machetes and knives. She said it cut the bone that protects the spinal cord and left an exit wound on the other side of his neck. "The knife made it from the right side to left of Juniors neck, hit the muscle, hit the veinhit the tissue on the back side of the mouth," she said. Fourteen men have been criminally charged in connection with Guzman-Felizs slaying. The medical examiner testified the wounds on his back and legs were consistent with being dragged. According to prosecutors, Jos Muniz first hacks Junior with a machete. They said their subsets, called Los Sures and Bad Boys, abided by a strict code of conduct. [Featured Image: Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz/Facebook], 6-Year-Old Girl, 2 Adults Critically Wounded by Gunmen Looking for the Little Girls Father, Juror: Alex Murdaugh Convinces Himself of His Own Lies, Detroit Man Charged With Killing Friends Tot Daughter, Lesandro Guzman-Feliz valiantly avoided multiple attempted stabbings. As opposed to Trump, who says presidents are free to incite at will. When Junior ran, the group gave chase. 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. Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, who went by the nickname Junior, was a member of the Police Departments Law Enforcement Explorers program before he was killed last year. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. How Junior was killed follows a pattern of attacks by Trinitarios, a Dominican gang that was born in New York prisons. Forsyth County prosecutors rested their case Tuesday morning. On June 20, members of both Bronx sets had spent much of the day hunting for their enemies, Mr. Alvarez said. The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. But Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro clearly told the gang he wasnt Sunset. Police officials also have said Lesandro did not belong to a gang. Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. A street was named after Junior, a scholarship fund, a summer camp. Both times the worker refuses to help the young teen. The vicious murder in June of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz just blocks from his Bronx home drew outrage from across the city and beyond. "Justice for Junior" has become a rallying cry. Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. 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. 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. Eight others are awaiting trial. He did not act with the intent to kill.. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon What is the derivation of this distorted quest for manhood and meaning? Dixon's closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Feliz's neck which reportedly killed him. Martin Goldberg, defense attorney for Jose Muniz who once cried in court during his arraignment said his client was made the poster boy for Juniors horrific death, because Muniz was seen carrying a machete. You can follow her on Twitter:@tonitamess. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was brutally attacked and slashed to death in June 2018 in a case of mistaken identity. Guzman-Feliz's death sparked outrage in the Bronx and beyond and spurred the allocation of $18 million toward gang prevention in the borough. Junior suffered multiple wounds to his face, back, chest, legs and hands. Lesandro, who had hidden behind the counter, pleaded with the men, saying he was not the person they were looking for. Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder, Defense hammers key witness on role in 'Junior' death. They also face manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and weapons charges. The teen wanted to be a police. Following that, no amount of logic, analysis, or pleas for reason could convince jurors to set aside their emotions. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was slashed in the neck with a machete at a bodega in the Bronx on June 19, 2018. Criminal defense attorney Chris Carrion has been observing the trial from the start. She replied that the wounds they spoke of were superficial and that the only wound that caused his death was the one to his neck. See our privacy policy. Theodore Parisienne for The New York Times. He believed hed found a place to belong. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. Although this position was strenuously argued by defense counsel, the jury ignored it. Whether Junior was a gang member or not, didnt justify his death. 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.. Some Work Things Are Optional. Mr. Martinez Estrella, a probationary member, boasted to the others that Lesandro would not eat for a very long time because I hit him in the neck, Mr. Reyes testified. Mere days after the trial kicked off startling never-before-seen footage of the savage machete attack was presented by prosecutors. The indicted are due back in court Oct. 25. 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 boy's murder trial Thursday,. 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. Richard Harbus "A Bronx jury found the two leaders guilty for their role in the murder, closing another chapter of. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja) on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. I dont want to see it again. Select from premium Lesandro of the highest quality. When The Founder Of SCOTUSblog Calles It Quits, You Know Something Is UP: 5 is a tough crowd, 6 is a waste of time. Maybe these wounds didn't contribute to the death but they certainly contributed to the pain and agony he was suffering, which fulfills the elements of murder in the first degree and as a result they're still guilty, he says. 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.. "A bright, beloved, athletic, soon-to . 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. Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes described how their subsets of the Trinitarios terrorized rivals, including a Trinitarios splinter group called Sunset. 270p. This Aint One Of Them: Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged out and then hacked to death by five men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx. Only someone in the gang would know the response. WNBC reported that the . 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. All 14 suspects are reportedly members of the Sures set of the Trinitarios gang. All rights reserved, Long Island Driver Wanted for Running From Deadly 7-Car Pileup, Upper East Side Deli Killer Clad in Hazmat Suit Likely Serial Robber: Sources, A dozen alleged gang members were indicted July 18, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Flight Attendant Hit the Ceiling': 7 Hospitalized After Severe Turbulence Diverts Flight to Virginia, Fight for NY Casino License Heats Up as Developers Drop Coney Island Boardwalk First Look, Viral Kids' Star Ms. Rachel Is Taking a Break From Social Media After Backlash Over Co-Star Who Uses They/Them Pronouns, The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced the cause of death for slain teen Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, The OCME said Wednesday the Bronx teens June 20 death was a stab wound to the neck and classified the death as a homicide, Alleged gang members have been indicted on murder, manslaughter, conspiracy and other charges. We obtained footage from multiple security cameras and cellphones. Crime, Criminal Defense Attorneys, Gangs, Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz, Manuel Rivera, Murder, Toni Messina. Video footage was released on social media that showed the murder. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged out and then hacked to death by five men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx. In recent months, turf wars have spiked among rival Trinitario factions. Two of the clips. Nils Gerber and Stephen Ball, Stacks' attorneys, presented evidence and rested their case after about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. ", If you have a gun, you shoot, he testified. GRAPHIC: CCTV and bystanders filming with their phones captured the gruesome Bronx bodega machete stabbing murder of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman by Trinitarios gang members. Its 11:39. Their trial provided a glimpse inside the violent Trinitarios gang, whose members mistook 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz for a rival. Junior's parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. It is unclear what the jury decided on. At least eight other men are on the lookout some, armed with knives. Video: EXCLUSIVE: Race faker Jessica Krug hailed Bronx bodega murder of 15-year-old Junior Guzman a 'revolutionary moment' because 'he wanted to be a cop' and mistakenly claimed he was . At least 10 other people have been maimed this summer in tit-for-tat attacks in the Bronx. 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 teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. According to police, the drivers spot Junior and taunt him. Junior begins to run and the cars give chase. A New York prosecutor detailed how hard a 15-year-old tried to fight off a group of accused gang members as they allegedly stabbed him to death in front of a bodega last summer. One man, identified by prosecutors as Jose Tavarez, enters the bodega and spots Junior. (Obtained by New York Daily News ). (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. THE BRONX As they rested their case in the "Junior" murder trial Friday, prosecutors turned to the medical examiner who performed the teen's autopsy, offering graphic detail of the wound that. That wound was inflicted by one defendant alone, Mr. Estrella. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. Nearly a year after Lesandro was killed, a jury found five of the men guilty of murder and related charges on Friday, capping five weeks of testimony that provided a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Trinitarios, a highly organized and brutally violent Dominican gang. It made the tragedy of his killing that much worse and convictions that much more guaranteed. As Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a press conference following the verdict, Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence. I saw he was scared, and he reminded me of a person that I had seen before, Reyes said, adding he felt very bad about the murder. It is unclear if Reyes is in witness protection or has also been released with other gangbanger-turned-witness Kevin Alvarez, 20. The ADAs argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Juniors neck the medical examiner says killed him. The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced the cause of death for slain teen Lesandro Guzman-Feliz. Prosecutors previously said the teen succumbed to a neck wound caused by a 4-and-a-half inch knife that severed his jugular vein. The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Rangers trade Kravtsov, waive Leschyshyn, Giants, Jets fans among most passionate in NFL: report, Mets Cohen cautions spending doesnt mean title, Moose on the Loose: Beltran joins Mets front office, Working to improve health care for all New Yorkers, Refresh your February with some finds from Josh McBride, New Cornell University research reveals pistachios, Patrn Perfect Pineapple Margarita plus a chance, Supercharged Entertainment Edison NJ is the place, Beauty and fashion time saver tips that can be done, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Activist killed in police-involved shooting, Rep. 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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. Do not sell my information. Five men approached, including Manuel, weapons in hand. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. All of the men charged have pleaded not guilty. A dozen alleged gang members were indicted July 18, with five charged with first degree murder, which includes torture, for the June 20 death of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz and could face life in prison without parole. 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. The ADA's argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Junior's neck the medical examiner says killed him. (Police were stationed in the street outside court, anticipating a riot should the verdict not have come back as guilty on all counts.). This 15-year-old boy, in the moments before his death, fought and fought like hell, Dolan said, according to the New York Daily News. If you have a machete, use the machete.. 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. The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps,. Yesterday lawyers for four of the suspects accused of stabbing 15-year-old . 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. In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. The referrals are a nice bonus too, Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later, Enjoy. 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. Closing arguments proved to be just as emotional, as some jury members shed tears. READ: #JusticeForJunior: A Group of Men Fatally Stabbed Bronx Teen With Machete. The family of Junior had mixed emotions after the verdicts were announced, but Guzman's brother said ultimately, "justice was served. Then hes dragged from the bodega and brutally stabbed by a swarm of attackers. READ: #JusticeForJunior: 19-Year-Old Charged in the Murder of Bronx Teenager. Five menSantiago Rodriguez, 24, Joniki Matinez, 24, Jose Muniz, 21, Danel Fernandez, 21, and Manuel Rivera, 18are currently on trial for the 2018 filmed murder. The murder was just as horrific. They pursued him in cars, mistaking the aspiring NYPD detective for a gangbanger because he supposedly resembled a known one. 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. At around 11:30, Junior leaves, and two minutes later security cameras catch him on this corner passing near his home. His history was whitewashed. : Enjoy. A bottle of hate had been uncorked and there was no way to close it. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. But in this case, she couldnt. JOLIET, Ill. (AP) A Chicago-area toddler was hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday after finding an unsecured gun and shooting himself in the head, police said. An 13th suspect has been confirmed arrested in Junior . Defense lawyers for the four other defendants said in their closing arguments that the order from Mr. Suero had only been to injure a Sunset member, not to kill someone. Manuel Rivera came from the Dominican Republic (legally) at age 15 with his dad and two sisters. WPIX reported that theyre charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and conspiracy. Warning: Details of Fridays testimony are graphic in nature and may be disturbing to some. But these verdicts will send a messageto those who would commitacts of senseless violenc, and help us move forward and bring closure to this awful chapter in our borough's history.". Once that video was out, it took on a life of its own causing the defendants to lose the presumption of innocence and any chance for a fair trial (at least that close in time to the event itself under one year.