[8] The video shows Guzman-Feliz re-entering the store; however, he appeared to be sent outside. These men, leaders of a Trinitarios set, commanded their members to go out and commit violence, DA Darcel Clark said in a statement. Guzman-Felizs killers mistook him as a member of a rival gang, but the boy was just an innocent teenager. This story has been shared 658,628 times. The judge also added that it was troubling to him when Muniz shouted at the court Popote, hasta la muerte or Trinitarios until death when he was convicted in June. Senseless is one of these words. Certain words come to mind when I think about your involvement, he said. The lawyer also fumed about one of the Star prosecution witnesses, Kevin Alvarez, Lesandro was walking alone at about 11:40 p.m. on June 20, 2018, in the Belmont section of the Bronx, looking at his phone, when he was accosted by several members of the Los Surs faction of the Trinitarios. She. Another suspect, Manuel Rivera, 18, was sentenced to 23 years because of his age at the time of the killing. Neary, who called Martinez Estrella the executioner, continued: You destroyed a young life, condemned his family and yours to a lifetime of pain and despair., Before being hit with the sentence, a Spanish-speaking Martinez Estrella said through a translator, First of all, I want to say sorry to his family and ask forgiveness, prompting someone in the courtroom to yell out, Bullst!, My intention was not to cause the death of this kid or cause injuries that would end up in the loss of his life, continued Martinez Estrella, who claimed he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs.. Lesandros mother, Leandra Feliz. Several of the suspects had fled to New Jersey, while others were caught in the Bronx. Eight of them areexpected to go on trial separately from the first five suspects. Public outrage arose when graphic video of the murder began to circulate on the Internet. [12] Police tip lines received a "torrent" of calls from witnesses and other people identifying the suspects. Manuel Rivera, 18 at time of arrest A case of mistaken identity by one of two quarreling Trinitarios factions led to Juniors horrifying death. He lost a lot of blood which led to shock to the body. He is suspected of chasing Guzman-Feliz toward the bodega and police said he was seen in one of the vehicles associated with the attack. My son did not kill him, she shouted. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 16. This week the authorities announced the indictment of 15 more members of the same gang, accusing them of carrying out attacks with machetes, knives and fists in Upper Manhattan. The five men are the latest to be convicted for the horrific, caught-on-camera slaying of the innocent 15-year-old in a Bronx bodega on June 20, 2018 that left New York City reeling. Following Guzman-Feliz death, Tremont residents honored his life with a huge mural, and an upstate summer camp for Bronx kids was named after him. They were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in September 2022. Officers' posts on Twitter and Instagram were shared and viewed over 100,000 times. [11] Police indicated, though, that the alleged killers, all members of the Trinitarios subset "Los Sures", mistakenly believed that Guzman-Feliz was a member of the rival gang "Sunset". One of the suspects accused of killing Bronx teen Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz was slashed in the face by a rival gang member inside a Rikers Island housing unit Tuesday, the Daily News has. Guzman-Felizs devastated parents kept their composure throughout the mornings proceedings. Alvarez, of the Bronx, was the first suspect to be arrested, just days after the murder. The gruesome murder a few minutes later prompted outrage on social media and calls for justice from elected officials and celebrities, including the rapper Cardi B and the Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia. Junior in fact had zero gang ties. Read More: Where is Erin Kreups Ex-Husband Terris Stahl Now? The straight blade entered the right side of his neck and severed his jugular vein, Dr. Sophia Rodriguez said. Mr. Muniz, who at his last court appearance had shouted out that he was a Trinitario until death, also said that he felt no remorse for Lesandros death, though he offered an apology to the Dominican community and his family for staining their reputations. After he spots the teen, he leaves to get the others, the surveillance video shows. You will never have the ability to understand the pain you have caused, Mr. Guzman told the convicted men. Id like to ask for forgiveness from all his family, Dominicans, and the state of New York and all my family for dirtying their name, Muniz said. Mr. Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago refused to speak before his sentencing, offering no apology nor a plea for mercy. Mr. Martinez, who prosecutors said struck the fatal blow, was sentenced to life without parole. To get a pair of high-waisted jeans that are as comfortable as they are fashionable, find a pair with added elastane, Lycra or spandex. You threw your life away at the age of 21. The five men sentenced on Friday were found guilty of murder and gang assault in June after a five-week trial in State Supreme Court in the Bronx that provided a look inside the workings of the Trinitarios, a highly organized and brutally violent gang. That night, there were two deaths: Junior and I, who was left dead inside, his mother, Leandra Feliz, said. He was a member of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Explorers program, a group for youths interested in law enforcement careers. Savage is another word. He was wearing a black T-shirt and a green head wrap. The prisoners have received death threats. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. But the lead prosecutor, Morgan Dolan, argued for life sentences, pointing out that none of the defendants had shown remorse before the sentencing. (Obtained by NY Daily News / ), Members of the Los Sures faction went after Junior on June 20, 2018, believing him to be a rival member of Sunset.. Danel Fernandez, 21 at time of arrest Justice Neary told Mr. Muniz he was a disgrace to his family. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Front page of the New York Daily News on Oct. 12, 2019: Machete Fiends Get Hard Time -- Judge throws book at Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz' killers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. The 15-year-old Guzman-Feliz, ran into the bodega after being chased by the group at around midnight. But the one that often comes to my mind is cowardly.. The teen was a sophomore at the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School and aspired to join the New York Police Department as a detective. Muniz, a member of the Trinitarios gang, is facing life in prison after a jury last Friday found him and his cohorts guilty of murder and gang assault. Santiago, of the Bronx, also stabbedGuzman-Feliz. Also in October 2019, convicted killer Jose Muniz who hacked Junior with a machete and co-defendants Elvin Garcia and Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago were sentenced to 25 years to life. These actions were all captured on camera leaving millions of people devastated. Junior Guzman Verdict: 5 Trinitarios Sentenced to Life in Hacking of Teen, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/nyregion/junior-guzman-feliz-trinitarios.html. All five gang members were convicted of all four charges each had faced: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second-degree conspiracy and second-degree gang assault. Ronald Urena;. Five other gang members stabbed and slashed the teen over and over again with knives and a machete, killing him, prosecutors said. The graphic footage of the killing sent shockwaves through the country and the world. She said, I called him because I feel like you take too long. [33], "EXCLUSIVE: Videos public hasn't seen show 'Junior' was chased for blocks before he was trapped in Bronx bodega", "Family calls for boycott of bodega where teen was fatally stabbed", "Bronx Bodega Owner Says He Tried To Shield Lesandro Guzman-Feliz; Video Released", "Bodega Owner Tearfully Recalls Machete Victim: 'So Scared', "The moment a teen is pulled out of a store and fatally stabbed", "NYPD reviewing video of Guzman-Feliz collapsing outside hospital", "NYPD probing whether cops sat by as dying teen bled out in Bronx machete attack", "Gang leader 'sorry' after innocent teen is butchered in street", "Murderous gang apologizes for brutal machete slaying of Bronx teen, victim's relative says", "12 suspects in Bronx teen's murder appear in court", "Lesandro Guzman-Feliz Bio, Biography, Age, Sister, Mother, Stabbing Video and Death (15 Years Old)", "Hundreds Gathered at a Bronx Bodega to Remember Slain Teen", "Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, el dominicano de 15 aos asesinado a machetazos en el Bronx cuya muerte estremece a Estados Unidos", "Friends, family honor the life of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz", "Farewell to 'Junior': Funeral for slain Bronx teen", "Thousands of People Attended Bronx Teen Lesandro Guzman Feliz's Funeral", "Hundreds attend funeral for innocent teen viciously killed by gang", "NYPD to honor slain Bronx teen with scholarship in his name", "Bronx street dedicated to 'Junior' on mom's birthday: 'It's something that will make him feel close to me', "Justice for Junior: Street in the Bronx renamed in honor of slain Bronx teen Junior Guzman-Feliz", "Eleventh suspect arrested in killing of Bronx teen", "12th and final suspect wanted in 'Junior' killing arrested in Connecticut", "8th arrest in fatal stabbing of Bronx teenager outside bodega", "7of 8 suspects appear in court in brutal murder of innocent 15-year-old boy", "Suspect in Bronx teen's murder slashed in the face at Rikers Island by rival gang member", "The Junior Files Part 1: New videos show Bronx teen trying to outrun gang street chase", "Justice comes for Junior: Jury finds all 5 gang members GUILTY of first-degree murder in clean-sweep verdict", "Verdict in Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz trial: All five defendants found guilty of first-degree murder in case that broke city's heart", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Lesandro_Guzman-Feliz&oldid=1145837767, Intersection of Bathgate Avenue and East 183rd Street, New York City (, This page was last edited on 21 March 2023, at 07:38. [2] Eventually, Guzman-Feliz sought refuge in a bodega at Bathgate Avenue and East 183rd Street in Belmont, Bronx, near his residence. Seven other suspects had previously been sentenced in the case. If it were up to me, I would sentence these murderers to 300 years in prison.. The grim facts of Junior's bloody murder were captured on video and widely shared on social media before they were broadcast on the evening news: A group of young men pull the teen from a Bronx. The death occurred in a case of mistaken identity. The savage pack stabbed the teen outside of the Cruz and Chiky bodega after he was dragged out of the Belmont store in a case of mistaken identity a slaying that shocked the city, and grabbed national headlines. They chase him across Third Avenue and down East 183rd Street. In a photo obtained exclusively by PIX11 News, Manuel Rivera a suspect in the June 20, 2018, killing of 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz in the Bronx is seen playing cars in Rikers Island, where hes being held in general population, unlike his fellow suspected gang members who are being held in a jail all to themselves at Rikers. The men are alleged members of the Los Suresset within the Trinitarios gang, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said. I do not know what its like to lose a child, Muniz, who also spoke in Spanish, told the court. He was 18 years old and was seduced by the cult, she said. They will never recover from their immense loss, but we hope it brings some peace to the community in knowing that these defendants will be in prison for years.. In addition, the gang leader expelled the killers from the gang as a result of this mistaken-identity killing. On June 24, 2018, Kevin Alvarez and Michael Sosa Reyes turned themselves in since their faces were visible on the videos circulating the internet. But the one that often comes to my mind is cowardly.. The jury took two days to reach a guilty verdict for the defendants: Mr. Martinez Estrella, 25; Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, 25; Jose Muniz, 23; Manuel Rivera, 19; and Elvin Garcia, 25. Mr. Muniz, Mr. Garcia and Mr. Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago will be eligible for parole after 25 years, and Mr. Rivera after 23 years. With all the surveillance feed at their disposal, the NYPD turned toward the RTCC for identifying the perpetrators, using cutting-edge facial recognition technology. The judge spared Muniz a sentence of life without parole, but imposed a sentence of 25 years to life. The gang apologized for the killing to the victim's family on social media. Guzman-Feliz was mistakenly targeted as a . The teen might have survived the grievous injury but only if pressure had been applied to his neck immediately, and he had been taken quickly to the hospital, the doctor said. He added that Muniz slept in city hallways and worked two jobs so he could send money to his mother for medicine. The alleged masterminds of the crime, 33-year-old Diego Suero and 24-year-old Frederick Then, were accused of being the leaders of the Los Sures set of the Trinitarios gang. Terry Monahan said, That video made it on social media very quickly. She also argued that the defendants had gone out that night planning to kill someone and knew precisely what they were doing. His mother Leandra Feliz demanded his sons killers be held accountable, starting a Justice for Junior campaign that spread nationwide along with the stomach-turning video of his murder. 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[1] While out, he noticed four vehicles and became alarmed. You deserved to be punished for causing so much pain. NEW YORK (WABC) -- Sunday marks three years since 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was killed in a brutal gang attack outside a Bronx deli. To be held as a big shot in a gang? Guzman-Feliz died after collapsing near the entrance of St. Barnabas Hospital. [25] Officers also claimed that Martinez-Estrella delivered the fatal blow to Guzman-Feliz. [4] After recognizing Junior and seeing his fear, the store owner relented and allowed him behind the counter,[5] but Junior was nevertheless spotted by one of the gang members, who then proceeded to drag him outside, where three others waited. NEW YORK - Two alleged gang. Kevin Alvarez revealed at trial that if he testifies truthfully for the prosecution in multiple cases, his guilty plea to Manslaughter 1 will be dropped and he will be released with time served. Frederick Then, 20 at time of arrest We are pursuing the re-arrest of those responsible.. The store owner (and others) witnessed the attack[3] but initially prevented Junior from hiding behind the counter, being at first unsure of precisely what was occurring. My intention was not to cause the death of this kid., Estrella added, That day, I was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and I did not know what I was doing.. He attended Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School. Los Sures leader Diego Suero and his second-in-command Frederick Then who ordered their followers to commit violence against the Sunset subset of the Trinitarios the night the teen was butchered were both found guilty of second-degree murder and are serving sentences of 25 to life. The men chased the teen into the deli before dragging him outside where they hacked him repeatedly with knives and machetes. The defendants actions culminated in the brutal attack on Lesandro Junior Guzman Since Junior was taken from his family, we have been relentless to attain justice for him, Clark said in a statement. [14], Lesandro Guzman-Feliz (November 11, 2002 June 20, 2018), known as "Junior", was 15 years old at the time of his death. 19-year-old Manuel Rivera was sentenced to 23 years to life because of his age at the time of the crime. Theyre not meant to treat viruses, however. Five . Jos Muniz, one of five men found guilty of fatally stabbing Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega last summer, sent a guard to the hospital with a dislocated shoulder after he allegedly attacked him Tuesday night, according to law enforcement sources. Muniz said of Guzman-Feliz, It may be true he was not a gang member, but the day my friend was shot, he was there., Later, Guzman-Felizs older brother, Manny Ortiz, told reporters outside the Bronx Hall of Justice, You cannot give credit to a criminal. They are staying by themselves in a Rikers Island jail unit meant to hold 50 inmates. Two others Gabriel Ramirez Concepcion, 30, Danilo Payamps Pachecho, 26 were sentenced to 12 years. What is the Mayors plan to deal with them before a Correction Officer loses his or her life?. The suspected gang members allegedly chased Guzman-Feliz for blocks the night of June 20. NEW YORKAn entire unit meant to house 50 inmates at Rikers Island has been set aside for three of the men accused of killing 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz at a Bronx bodega, a high-ranking jail source told PIX11 News Tuesday. Photo Credit: Passaic County prosecutor's office The 14 suspects accused in the fatal stabbing. When Justice Neary sentenced him to life, his mother moaned in the gallery and stood up. Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz was stabbed to death by men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx, outside the Cruz and Chiky Grocery store on the corner of E. 183rd St. and Bathgate Ave.. Suero, of the Bronx, is the suspected leader of the "Los Sures"set of the Trinitarios gang, according to the Bronx district attorney. The brutal attack, which was caught on surveillance video, shocked the community and inspired several tips to the NYPD, helping them make the first arrests just days later. The 15-year-old Guzman-Feliz, ran into the bodega after being chased by the group at around midnight. Fernandez, of the Bronx, also is seen in the surveillance video dragging Guzman-Feliz out of the bodega. So, as the 22-year old convicted killer and gang member apologized to Junior Guzman-Felizs family and said he prayed on his knees every night for God to give them strength he revealed, for the first time, the motive in the 15-year-olds murder. My hope is that another family will never have to live with the pain of losing a child, the pain that I will have to live with for the rest of my life..
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