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. Anyone can read what you share. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Mistaking him for a member of a rival set, the gang chased the boy, Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, for blocks in the Belmont section of the Bronx, prosecutors said. GRAPHIC: CCTV and bystanders filming with their phones captured the gruesome Bronx bodega machete stabbing murder of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman by Trinitarios gang members. Junior rushes into this bodega just one block from his home. It was a lawyers argument (as the judges law clerk put it) intellectual, nitpicky not visceral. Theodore Parisienne for The New York Times. The indicted are due back in court Oct. 25. Their trial provided a glimpse inside the violent Trinitarios gang, whose members mistook 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz for a rival. 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 where the teen is seen being dragged outside the bodega and attacked by a gang of five men who stabbed him with knives and hacked him with a machete as he struggled to defend himself. Prosecutors rested their case today in the Junior murder trial, but not without a graphic and powerful finish. 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. We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. Amazingly, a customer is seen purchasing an item over Juniors blood. Erica Byfield reports. 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.. Five other people have been arrested and accused of involvement in the crime. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. It appeared from a video of the crime (caught from multiple angles) that each attacked him viciously. 38 Juveniles Killed in Gun Violence in Chicago So Far This Year: Police But Morgan Dolan, the lead prosecutor, countered that weapons like knives and machetes kill and the gang members went in knowing that.. The jury, comprised of 11 women and one man, reached the verdict Friday after going into deliberations Thursday. All five defendants Antonio Santigo, Elvin Garcia, Manuel Rivera, Estrella and Muniz were members of the Trinitarios gang. If you have a machete, use the machete.. After that, they will lead off summations. 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. On the night of Juniors murder, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members when they spotted the 15-year-old walking. ALL 8 SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED #justiceforjunior #JUNIOR #ripjunior #JUSTICE4JUNIOR #justice #bronx. They hang out on a stoop close by, chatting and listening to hip-hop, according to Jason. Heres a list of where to volunteer in NYC: Lex Lumpkin talks about new show The Watchful Eye, Debunking food safety myths with a chefs help, Fun, easy Holi-inspired crafts to try with kids, Spot warning signs of teens declining mental health, Simple spring break cocktails to make at home, Patrick Kane to make Rangers debut against Senators, Rangers KAndre Miller suspended 3 games for spitting, Kane incoming? Of those 38, five were under the age of 10. He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. Junior's mother said that Friday's verdict will sends a message to all those who would do something similar to what happened to her son. 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. Prosecutors introduced three clips of video. But the owner appears to direct him away. 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. Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. LexisNexis Brief Analysis produces powerful, near-instant legal argumentation insights using the power of AI. Just two days before Junior was killed, a 14-year-old was seriously injured in this attack. 270p. This story has been shared 137,355 times. Then he walked toward Adams Place, where he sometimes met with friends. Mr. Sueros trial is expected to start soon. (Police were stationed in the street outside court, anticipating a riot should the verdict not have come back as guilty on all counts.). 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. 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. How Junior was killed follows a pattern of attacks by Trinitarios, a Dominican gang that was born in New York prisons. Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes described how their subsets of the Trinitarios terrorized rivals, including a Trinitarios splinter group called Sunset. Forsyth County prosecutors rested their case Tuesday morning. Select from premium Lesandro of the highest quality. All of the men charged have pleaded not guilty. Ultimately, he was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. The ADA's argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Junior's neck the medical examiner says killed him. 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. "Today's verdicts will not bring Junior back. Lesandro, who had hidden behind the counter, pleaded with the men, saying he was not the person they were looking for. 'Junior' trial star witness Kevin Alvarez describes moment - PIX11 But it was Mr. Martinez Estrella who delivered the fatal blow when he shoved a large knife into the side of Lesandros neck, penetrating 4.5 inches and cutting his jugular vein, a medical examiner testified. 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. A teenager hunted down and dragged from a New York City bodega, then swarmed by attackers outside. Juniors friend, a Trinitario, had been attacked by a rival faction and allegedly turned to Junior for help. The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps, MACHETE MONSTERS GUILTY.. But some of his friends were, and he had been hanging out with them at Adams Place recently. She said it cut the bone that protects the spinal cord and left an exit wound on the other side of his neck. We talked to police sources, family members and other witnesses. 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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. When the attackers walk in, the worker points out where Junior is hiding, and he gets dragged outof the store. As opposed to Trump, who says presidents are free to incite at will. Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. She said the jugular wound caused him to lose a lot of blood, but blood rushed out more quickly because no one applied pressure and he ran to the hospital. UPDATE! 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. (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. Our investigation retraces his last steps and reveals how a recent wave of violence took his life just two blocks from home. Last week, court officers had to restrain and remove a screaming Leandra Feliz as Judge Robert Neary blasted her as hysterical.. Henry said Junior had a large open wound on the right side of his neck when she saw his body in the morgue. The 15-year-old had already been pronounced dead inside the hospital, Officer Oikawa would later learn. Prosecutors previously said the teen succumbed to a neck wound caused by a 4-and-a-half inch knife that severed his jugular vein. 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. 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. 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. The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. Closing arguments continue in the murder trial of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. We're about five years off of Best Buy having a 'Legal Troubleshooting' department, aren't we? 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. Newly released videos show Junior's desperate final moments before Mr. Reyes said they falsely told the store owner that Lesandro had attacked his own grandmother. 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. You can follow her on Twitter:@tonitamess. Newly released videos show Junior's desperate final moments before being hacked to death PIX11 News 186K subscribers Subscribe Like Save 3.8M views 4 years ago Show more Show more Notice. 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. : Enjoy. No one, not prosecutors or police, wanted to admit, that Junior had gang connections. Junior suffered multiple wounds to his face, back, chest, legs and hands. 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. Dimas Sanfiorenzo is the Managing Editor for Okayplayer. "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. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as 'Junior,' was mistaken for another person in a murder earlier this week described as "among the most brutal crimes I've seen in my 36yr career," New York . Find Lesandro stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. This Aint One Of Them: Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later. We obtained footage from multiple security cameras and cellphones. It also made his story easier to use as a rallying cry to target gangs that attract and control vulnerable teens like Manuel. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. 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.". Surveillance cameras reportedly caught a group of men dragging Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega before attacking him. Prior to deliberations starting, the judge told the jury they could deliberate over the five defendants on trial separately and return individual verdicts or wait to return the verdicts of all five at once. In recent months, turf wars have spiked among rival Trinitario factions. 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. Sabathia. 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. They also face manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and weapons charges. Gasps, Tears as Never-Before-Seen Video of Attack - NBC New York When Junior ran, the group gave chase. Dixons closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Felizs neck which reportedly killed him. Cause of death released for Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz His history was whitewashed. Nine others charged in the killing are awaiting trial. Both times the worker refuses to help the young teen. He felt cool. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. It was very painful, Guzman told reporters in Spanish. Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon Heres how Lexis Search Advantage | Transactional unites internal and external research to create better deals faster. Whether Junior was a gang member or not, didnt justify his death. 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. It led to a clearer morality tale. 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. One made a gesture as if he were going to hit Lesandro and the teenager ran, the witnesses said. 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. Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro was not in the photos. The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz alleging he was in a gang photo a notion a detective who took the stand denied. A GRAPHIC VIEW OF HIS NECK! And on the night before Juniors murder, he had witnessed another stabbing at Adams Place. 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. Fellow defendant Jose Muniz was heard saying "Trinitarios to the day I die" as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. If they did not participate, the lawyers said, they would have been disciplined. 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. He specializes, New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after. Junior was spotted walking late at night in the Bronx neighborhood frequented by the Sunsets. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. The friend says he told Junior not to come over because it was late. He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken. Junior gestures for someone to call 911. According to police, the drivers spot Junior and taunt him. Kevin Alvarez, third from left, and Elvin Garcia, both members of the Trinitarios gang, appearing before a judge in 2018. Lesandro had bruising, scratches and small puncture wounds on his body, according to autopsy photos. stop killing our brothersThe full story about 15-year old teen junior stabbed to death Justice for. All Five Defendants Found Guilty of Murder in Brutal 'Junior' Guzman Brown said Janari became the 38th juvenile murdered in gun violence in Chicago in the first seven months of 2020. The boy was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. 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. 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. At 10:05 p.m., security footage shows Junior leaving home to meet his friend Jason Velez at this corner. Why do so many buy into a life that restricts their freedom, imposes beatings for disobeying gang rules, and calls for violence to others? The second day of trial in the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was emotional and filled with graphic video and photos. Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, who went by the nickname Junior, was a member of the Police Department's Law Enforcement Explorers program before he was killed last year. 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. Do not sell my information. Prosecutors showed jurors an autopsy photo showing the lethal wound to the neck of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. 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 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. 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. Stuck Drafting A Tough Brief? Mr. Reyes said the conflict started when two Sunset members joined the Bad Boys, angering a Sunset member who had gone to prison for a crime the two members had committed. It is unclear what the jury decided on. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. On June 20, members of both Bronx sets had spent much of the day hunting for their enemies, Mr. Alvarez said. (No one claims responsibility.) Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. That night, Lesandro had left his home on Bathgate Avenue to lend a friend $5, his mother had said during an interview last year. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz case: Five guilty of murder in mistaken It brought cries for vengeance couched in the Justice for Junior slogan. In a panic, he tries to hide behind the counter. 5 Convicted of Hacking Innocent Teenager 'Junior' Guzman to Death New York Police Department . Then he starts running to St. Barnabas Hospital, just one block away. ", Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence, said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]. The cars briefly stop at this intersection, and then turn left in the direction of Juniors path. Manuel enjoyed the Trinitarios parties, the hookah, the beads, the hand signs, the comradery, and fact that they had his back. She used her summation to show the jury the boys final moments repeatedly, slowing it down to show each defendants actions. The friend says they felt things were getting dicey and went inside. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. 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. Criminal defense attorney Chris Carrion has been observing the trial from the start. Although this position was strenuously argued by defense counsel, the jury ignored it. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was slashed in the neck with a machete at a bodega in the Bronx on June 19, 2018. Prosecution rests in Junior case after showing graphic autopsy photo One man, identified by prosecutors as Jose Tavarez, enters the bodega and spots Junior. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. That isgonna stick with this jury for the rest of the weekend, he says. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. We will never sell or share your information without your consent. . Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said each of the . 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. A street was named after Junior, a scholarship fund, a summer camp. After the attack, the gang returned to Mr. Sueros home on Boston Road, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes said. Junior's parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. The murder was just as horrific. Five more gang members pleaded guilty in the brutal machete stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz inside a Bronx bodega in 2018. Except thats not what happened. They said that the store did not show good moral character. There is also a petition being spread around demanding the store get its license revoked. 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. 'Borderline gruesome' autopsy photos among the last pieces of evidence Junior begins to run and the cars give chase. 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. What could be put in place in their neighborhoods to substitute the pull of the gang? Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. At around 11:30, Junior leaves, and two minutes later security cameras catch him on this corner passing near his home. He was depicted in murals and online with a halo and angel wings. He gave a coded gang response when asked a question by a Trinitarios gang member driving by. Hes at home with his mother. 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. 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,. But he acted with intent to harm. Five gangbangers are on trial for the murder of the 15-year-old in the tragic case of mistaken identity. Nils Gerber and Stephen Ball, Stacks' attorneys, presented evidence and rested their case after about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. (Obtained by NY Daily News). Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Henry also told of discovering a five-inch blade inside the passenger seat pocket of suspect Kevins Alvarezs 2003 gray Acura.