"I saw a smile on my mothers face really, really excited.". See our privacy policy. It appeared from a video of the crime (caught from multiple angles) that each attacked him viciously. The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps, MACHETE MONSTERS GUILTY.. 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. But the glee I saw in the eyes of spectators at the reading of straight convictions for Murder I was not founded. The five men who viciously slashed a New York teenager to death with .
Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know The case grabbed the attention of New Yorkers and across the nation, given that the brutal machete killing of the 15-year-old boy that took place inside a Bronx bodega in the summer of 2018 was captured on surveillance. Junior stumbles back into the bodega, leaving a trail of blood on the floor. The indicted are due back in court Oct. 25. (No one claims responsibility.) Warning Graphic Video Below. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. After that, they will lead off summations. His English was poor. The knife used to deliver the lethal blow to Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz last June 20 went clear through the teens neck, causing him to bleed to death, the medical examiner, Dr. Sophia Rodriguez, testified. One made a gesture as if he were going to hit Lesandro and the teenager ran, the witnesses said. 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.
Grim details on Junior Guzman-Feliz murder sparks dad to lash out in Five other people have been arrested and accused of involvement in the crime. They attempted to cast blame on Mr. Martinez Estrella for Lesandros death. He believed hed found a place to belong. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. Junior rushes into this bodega just one block from his home. Mr. Alvarez, Mr. Reyes and a third man went into the store and asked the owner and workers to let them take Lesandro. 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.
Machete killing of Bronx teen in case of mistaken identity leads to Then he walked toward Adams Place, where he sometimes met with friends. 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. Hes making more money from Hogwarts: Legacy than her anyway. "Justice for Junior" has become a rallying cry.
Lesandro Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. 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. 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. Five more gang members pleaded guilty in the brutal machete stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz inside a Bronx bodega in 2018. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence, "Today Junior's family, and in fact our entire city, has received a measure of justice," Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz said in a statement. (Obtained by New York Daily News ). 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 medical examiner testified she was a lumper a doctor who looks to combine injuries and conclude that they all might have contributed to death. Lesandro, who had hidden behind the counter, pleaded with the men, saying he was not the person they were looking for. Diego Suero leaving the 48th Precinct in the Bronx. At around 11:30, Junior leaves, and two minutes later security cameras catch him on this corner passing near his home. 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. Mere days after the trial kicked off startling never-before-seen footage of the savage machete attack was presented by prosecutors. Erica Byfield reports. On the night of Juniors murder, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members when they spotted the 15-year-old walking. Following that, no amount of logic, analysis, or pleas for reason could convince jurors to set aside their emotions. 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. Except thats not what happened. During the cops testimony, a white t-shirt completely saturated in the boys blood as well as blood-soaked boxers, a sock, and a blue zip-up sweatshirt designed with stars and stripes were shown to jurors. She used her summation to show the jury the boys final moments repeatedly, slowing it down to show each defendants actions. "This 15-year-old boy, moments before death, fought like . Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. The desperate teenager tried to hide inside of a bodega, but the gang members dragged him from the store and stabbed him to death as security cameras recorded the gruesome scene. Theyre believed to have targeted Guzman-Feliz because they believed he was affiliated with a rival gang responsible for shooting one of their members two days earlier. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. Henry also told of discovering a five-inch blade inside the passenger seat pocket of suspect Kevins Alvarezs 2003 gray Acura. Heres How To Get Yours Right. Privacy Center | 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. ", Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence, said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. They're not gonna forget it. Amazingly, a customer is seen purchasing an item over Juniors blood.
Celebrities react to tragic murder of 15-year-old in the Bronx I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Officers were called to a .
'Junior' Guzman-Feliz 'fought like hell' as machete-wielding gang Ultimately, he was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. There, leaders passed around cellphone pictures of various Sunset members and asked the returning soldiers to identify the person they stabbed. He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken.
Gang ordered 'damage' before 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz death - New York Post ", If you have a gun, you shoot, he testified. 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,. He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. 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. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja), Jury Finds All Five Defendants Guilty Of Murdering Bronx Teen Junior Guzman-Feliz, New Owners Of Bodega Where Junior Was Killed Want To Rename Store After Slain Teen, Bronx Street Renamed To Honor Slain Teen Junior, Bronx Bodega Where Teen Junior Was Attacked Reopens Temporarily, Legendary Jazz Saxophonist Wayne Shorter Has Died, White Student At Howard University Law School Sues for $2 Million Over Racial Discrimination, R. Kelly Sentenced to 20 Years For Child Sex Crimes, Family of Malcolm X Files $100 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against NYPD & Others. Continuing coverage on the trial can be read here. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Kevin Alvarez, third from left, and Elvin Garcia, both members of the Trinitarios gang, appearing before a judge in 2018. But some of the most powerful evidence came from two gang members involved in the attack who testified for the prosecution in return for lenient sentences: Kevin Alvarez, 20, and Michael Reyes, 20. 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 ADAs argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Juniors neck the medical examiner says killed him. But I understand why the People adopted the Junior-as-saint story. His history was whitewashed. 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. Its like my son was right here with me., (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. ), It was shared millions of times on social media and in the general press. Junior and the bodega owner appear to have an exchange with Kevin Alvarez before Junior is grabbed and beaten on the ground. 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. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after LesandroJunior Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Then hes dragged from the bodega and brutally stabbed by a swarm of attackers. Its Wednesday, June 20. After Junior was stabbed outside the Bronx bodega, he is seen in surveillance video clutching his neck and attempting to run to the nearby hospital, where he eventually collapsed on a sidewalk and bled to death.
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. Hes been charged with these crimes. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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.. 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. Dr. Sophia Rodriguez from the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed Juniors autopsy and testified that the more than 4-inch deep wound was caused by a single-edge knife or blade. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. Five men approached, including Manuel, weapons in hand. Select from premium Lesandro of the highest quality. We've received your submission. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]. But Morgan Dolan, the lead prosecutor, countered that weapons like knives and machetes kill and the gang members went in knowing that.. Nothing can. 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. That isgonna stick with this jury for the rest of the weekend, he says. 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. 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. Closing arguments proved to be just as emotional, as some jury members shed tears. Last Friday, five men were convicted of murder in the first degree for the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz in June 2018. Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. We dont know. MORE: Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder Last week, court officers had to restrain and remove a screaming Leandra Feliz as Judge Robert Neary blasted her as hysterical.. Why do so many buy into a life that restricts their freedom, imposes beatings for disobeying gang rules, and calls for violence to others? Antonio Santiago is seen here from this other angle. 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. When Junior ran, the group gave chase. 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. 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.
Although this position was strenuously argued by defense counsel, the jury ignored it. Content should be organized in different stages, from when potential clients search for initial information to eventually contacting your law firm. I dont want to see it again. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. The jury of 11 women and a man took only two days to decide the fates of the defendants Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, 25, Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, 25, Jose Muniz, 23, Manuel Rivera, 19, and Elvin Garcia, 25. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. She described, in heartbreaking detail, how Guzman-Feliz looked up at her after the attack and motioned her to call 911. A GRAPHIC VIEW OF HIS NECK!
5 Convicted of Hacking Innocent Teenager 'Junior' Guzman to Death JOLIET, Ill. - A toddler accidentally shot himself in the head after he found an unsecured gun in a Joliet home Tuesday afternoon, according to police.
Closing Aguments In 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz Murder Trial 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. The medical examiner testified the wounds on his back and legs were consistent with being dragged.
5 More Gang Members Plead Guilty in Death of Teen 'Junior' Guzman in Recommended Stories Deadline. The 15-year-old had already been pronounced dead inside the hospital, Officer Oikawa would later learn. 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. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja) on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT. 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. How Junior was killed follows a pattern of attacks by Trinitarios, a Dominican gang that was born in New York prisons. 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.
#JusticeForJunior New Footage Shows Bodega Worker Refused to Help Dying He was depicted in murals and online with a halo and angel wings. Brown said Janari became the 38th juvenile murdered in gun violence in Chicago in the first seven months of 2020. I didnt see the kid., 5 Convicted of Hacking Innocent Teenager Junior Guzman to Death, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/nyregion/lesandro-guzman-murder-trinitarios-verdict.html. Whether Junior was a gang member or not, didnt justify his death. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). We will never sell or share your information without your consent. Registration or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Our investigation retraces his last steps and reveals how a recent wave of violence took his life just two blocks from home. "If they continue the violence in the city, theyre going to get the same thing. A warning: These next scenes are hard to watch, and weve obscured some graphic parts. At least 10 other people have been maimed this summer in tit-for-tat attacks in the Bronx. "Today's verdicts will not bring Junior back. Is that why Junior was targeted? Just two days before Junior was killed, a 14-year-old was seriously injured in this attack. He felt cool. Police had seized the footage that night and it got leaked. 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. It made the tragedy of his killing that much worse and convictions that much more guaranteed. ", "It was a terrible year, it felt like 10 years. Now that the prosecution had rested its case, the defense can begin to question witnesses next week, and once that process is done, closing arguments will begin. Lesandro had bruising, scratches and small puncture wounds on his body, according to autopsy photos. Prosecutors rested their case today in the Junior murder trial, but not without a graphic and powerful finish. Yes, he put the knife through his neck. When The Founder Of SCOTUSblog Calles It Quits, You Know Something Is UP: 5 is a tough crowd, 6 is a waste of time. : Enjoy. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018.