";s:4:"text";s:21507:"Theodore Parisienne for The New York Times. On June 20, members of both Bronx sets had spent much of the day hunting for their enemies, Mr. Alvarez said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Bronx gangbangers were given the order to inflict any kind of damage they could on rivals just three days before the murder of innocent teen Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, according to court testimony Friday. Friends and family told us that Junior wasnt in a gang and the police have no such indication, either. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence.. Surveillance footage from June shows a street chase by suspected members of the Trinitarios gang, as they hunted down 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. Does An In Depth Analysis Predicting SCOTUS Decisions Help You Wind Down? Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro was not in the photos. Secure New Clients Using A Content Marketing Funnel, Seth Klarman Doesnt Care Whether J.K. Rowling Is Cancelled. We will never sell or share your information without your consent. WNBC reported that the . 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 . She used her summation to show the jury the boys final moments repeatedly, slowing it down to show each defendants actions. The vicious murder in June of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz just blocks from his Bronx home drew outrage from across the city and beyond. Since the violent attack, the communitys outpouring of love and support has been seen in a mural. 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. The indicted are due back in court Oct. 25. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. Junior was spotted walking late at night in the Bronx neighborhood frequented by the Sunsets. Hes at home with his mother. The friend says they felt things were getting dicey and went inside. Members of the Bronx sets also wanted revenge because a Sunset member had shot one of the Bad Boys in the face, Mr. Alvarez said. Five more gang members pleaded guilty in the brutal machete stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz inside a Bronx bodega in 2018. An 13th suspect has been confirmed arrested in Junior . The officer 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. Also consider other hobbies. Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. Registration or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. 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. . Criminal defense attorney Chris Carrion has been observing the trial from the start. THE BRONX He knew they had killed the wrong guy. She has not been back to court since. 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. "See what happens with those killers," said Leandra Feliz. UPDATE! This Tool Can Help. 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. (Jefferson Siegel/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS). The second day of trial in the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was emotional and filled with graphic video and photos. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. 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. Then he starts running to St. Barnabas Hospital, just one block away. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). The cars briefly stop at this intersection, and then turn left in the direction of Juniors path. Sofia Henry also testified Thursday, telling jurors about photos she took on the night of the incident. 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. Hundreds attended his funeral last summer. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. They also argued their clients were pretending to stab Lesandro because gang leaders were watching the assault. 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. 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. Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. I dont want to see it again. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. He leaves and immediately three other men enter. Mr. Alvarez testified for the prosecution in return for a lenient sentence. Five gangbangers are on trial for the murder of the 15-year-old in the tragic case of mistaken identity. 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. Surveillance cameras reportedly caught a group of men dragging Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega before attacking him. However, all 12 alleged gang members were indicted on second degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon. 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. A jury began deliberating Thursday on the five mens fates. 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. I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. Amazingly, a customer is seen purchasing an item over Juniors blood. According to prosecutors, Jos Muniz first hacks Junior with a machete. 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. Junior gestures for someone to call 911. The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. Two of the clips. Just after the stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz last June 20, members of the Trinitarios were examining a photo of gang . 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. If you have a knife, you stab. Diego Suero leaving the 48th Precinct in the Bronx. See our privacy policy. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. As opposed to Trump, who says presidents are free to incite at will. They probablywon't forget itfor the rest of their lives.. 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. 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. He was then stabbed and hacked to death with machetes by several attackers after being mistakenly identified. What could be put in place in their neighborhoods to substitute the pull of the gang? Whether Junior was a gang member or not, didnt justify his death. Mr. Muniz rushed over wielding a machete while Mr. Garcia, Mr. Rivera and Mr. Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago stabbed at him with large knives, security camera video and other evidence showed. The only injury that caused Juniors death was clearly the neck wound. They said their subsets, called Los Sures and Bad Boys, abided by a strict code of conduct. At Least Your Colleague Spat Wasnt This Bad: Some things we just dont share with the class. She said it cut the bone that protects the spinal cord and left an exit wound on the other side of his neck. 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 lawyers argument (as the judges law clerk put it) intellectual, nitpicky not visceral. The referrals are a nice bonus too, Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later, Enjoy. But what the autopsy report meticulously documented was that Junior suffered minor physical injury, superficial wounds, no bigger than a lentil, except for a large wound to his neck. On Monday, City Council members Ritchie Torres, Vanessa Gibson, and Rafael Salamanca wrote a letter to Department of Consumer Affairs asking that the bodega be shut down. A warning: These next scenes are hard to watch, and weve obscured some graphic parts. Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. It led to a clearer morality tale. Junior stumbles back into the bodega, leaving a trail of blood on the floor. The 15-year-old had already been pronounced dead inside the hospital, Officer Oikawa would later learn. She detailed the fatal path of the knife through the teens neck, which left a gaping hole on one side and a puncture wound on the other. was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. In a panic, he tries to hide behind the counter. Dimas Sanfiorenzo is the Managing Editor for Okayplayer. Fourteen men have been criminally charged in connection with Guzman-Felizs slaying. stop killing our brothersThe full story about 15-year old teen junior stabbed to death Justice for. 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. Yes, he put the knife through his neck. Hes been charged with these crimes. They're not gonna forget it. But a leading police theory is the attackers mistakenly believed Junior was in a rival gang. 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.. We obtained footage from multiple security cameras and cellphones. It was Mr. Suero who had sent them out on June 20, 2018, armed with machetes and knives, to search for members of Sunset to attack, the two cooperating witnesses said. 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. Warning: Details of Fridays testimony are graphic in nature and may be disturbing to some. The dad struggled to make a living and Manuel struggled in school. Juniors friend, a Trinitario, had been attacked by a rival faction and allegedly turned to Junior for help. Last week, court officers had to restrain and remove a screaming Leandra Feliz as Judge Robert Neary blasted her as hysterical.. Crime, Criminal Defense Attorneys, Gangs, Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz, Manuel Rivera, Murder, Toni Messina. Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence, the Bronx district attorney, Darcel D. Clark, said. Mr. Sueros trial is expected to start soon. The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz alleging he was in a gang photo a notion a detective who took the stand denied. ALL 8 SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED #justiceforjunior #JUNIOR #ripjunior #JUSTICE4JUNIOR #justice #bronx. According to police, the drivers spot Junior and taunt him. Junior's parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. Content should be organized in different stages, from when potential clients search for initial information to eventually contacting your law firm. His English was poor. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was slashed in the neck with a machete at a bodega in the Bronx on June 19, 2018. New Yorkers flooded investigators with tips. We're about five years off of Best Buy having a 'Legal Troubleshooting' department, aren't we? Mr. Alvarez, Mr. Reyes and a third man went into the store and asked the owner and workers to let them take Lesandro. Junior and the bodega owner appear to have an exchange with Kevin Alvarez before Junior is grabbed and beaten on the ground. Some Trinitarios took orders from Mr. Suero, whom they called Santa Claus, according to Mr. Alvarez and Michael Reyes, who also testified for the prosecution. Closing arguments continue in the murder trial of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. She described, in heartbreaking detail, how Guzman-Feliz looked up at her after the attack and motioned her to call 911. But in this case, she couldnt. The five men who viciously slashed a New York teenager to death with . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Also consider other hobbies. He only said that one word -- "water," she testified. 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. Heres how Lexis Search Advantage | Transactional unites internal and external research to create better deals faster. But its too late. 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. Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder, Defense hammers key witness on role in 'Junior' death. Video showed the boy being dragged outside the bodega and set upon by a gang of men who hacked at him as he struggled to defend himself. However, four defense attorneys contested this notion, describing during opening statements that most of Guzman-Feliz's wounds as superficial and said it was the one cut to the throat that killed him. 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,. AP Bronx gangbangers were given the order to inflict "any kind of damage". The friend says he told Junior not to come over because it was late. Eight others are awaiting trial. We've received your submission. Heres How To Get Yours Right. Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. "I saw a smile on my mothers face really, really excited.". 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. After that, they will lead off summations. Five other people have been arrested and accused of involvement in the crime. "If they continue the violence in the city, theyre going to get the same thing. Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. Officers were called to a . Why do so many buy into a life that restricts their freedom, imposes beatings for disobeying gang rules, and calls for violence to others? 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. 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. 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. They are under investigation for failing to help. But he acted with intent to harm. If convicted, they face life in prison. Sabathia. 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. 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. 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. 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. Dixon's closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Feliz's neck which reportedly killed him. Junior M&A Associate (1-3PQE, English-speaking role), Senior Projects/Projects Finance Lawyer (Korean,5+ PQE), Legal Knowledge Management To Drive Dealmaking, The Global Legal News You Need, When You Need It. We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. 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. However, police have said the teens murder was a case of mistaken identity. Fellow defendant Jose Muniz was heard saying "Trinitarios to the day I die" as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. Find Lesandro stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. WPIX reported that theyre charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and conspiracy. Police had seized the footage that night and it got leaked. Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. Recommended Stories Deadline. Henry said Junior had a large open wound on the right side of his neck when she saw his body in the morgue. A teenager hunted down and dragged from a New York City bodega, then swarmed by attackers outside. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here. Members of the NYPD Junior league attend Lesandro Guzman-Feliz's funeral cerenomy at Our . Antonio Santiago is seen here from this other angle. 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. 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. ";s:7:"keyword";s:30:"junior'' guzman autopsy photos";s:5:"links";s:1102:"Sierra Pacific Windows Brochure,
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