WPIX reported that theyre charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and conspiracy. Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. ALL 8 SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED #justiceforjunior #JUNIOR #ripjunior #JUSTICE4JUNIOR #justice #bronx. 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. This Aint One Of Them: Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later. The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps, MACHETE MONSTERS GUILTY.. 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. Richard Harbus "A Bronx jury found the two leaders guilty for their role in the murder, closing another chapter of. Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. 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. He was a skinny kid, just 120 pounds, 56 inches tall. It was very painful, Guzman told reporters in Spanish. I didnt see the person who had just finished getting stabbed there, Mr. Alvarez said, choking back tears. 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. Dixons closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Felizs neck which reportedly killed him. was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Find Lesandro stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. 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 mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. 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. 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. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). 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. A GRAPHIC VIEW OF HIS NECK! Members of the Police Departments Law Enforcement Explorers program attending a memorial for Lesandro last year. 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 injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. All 14 suspects are reportedly members of the Sures set of the Trinitarios gang. What is the derivation of this distorted quest for manhood and meaning? 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. 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. Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. There are nine others charged in Guzman's murder that are still awaiting trial. Last Friday, five men were convicted of murder in the first degree for the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz in June 2018. Following that, no amount of logic, analysis, or pleas for reason could convince jurors to set aside their emotions. His history was whitewashed. We've received your submission. 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. Junior's parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. : Enjoy. A bottle of hate had been uncorked and there was no way to close it. Juniors mother Leandra Guzman had to be escorted from the courtroom last week when she began screaming and shaking after viewing gruesome footage of her son being attacked by a group of alleged gangbangers. Dr. Rodriguez also said it was possible Junior may have survived if brought to the hospital sooner. Henry said Junior had a large open wound on the right side of his neck when she saw his body in the morgue. It brought cries for vengeance couched in the Justice for Junior slogan. 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.. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. He only said that one word -- "water," she testified. A jury began deliberating Thursday on the five mens fates. If you have a machete, use the machete.. On June 20, members of both Bronx sets had spent much of the day hunting for their enemies, Mr. Alvarez said. They are under investigation for failing to help. 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. The vicious murder in June of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz just blocks from his Bronx home drew outrage from across the city and beyond. It was a lawyers argument (as the judges law clerk put it) intellectual, nitpicky not visceral. Understanding Big Law: A Must-Read Guide To One Of The Most Challenging Workplaces In The World Is Now Available. Get notified about exclusive offers every week! Hes been charged with these crimes. The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. #justiceforjunior #ripjunior ALL THAT MUST STOP . Mr. Reyes said they falsely told the store owner that Lesandro had attacked his own grandmother. 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. 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. WNBC reported that the grisly images brought some of the jurors to tears. How do you protect your children from predators? We obtained footage from multiple security cameras and cellphones. His English was poor. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja) on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT. Surveillance cameras reportedly caught a group of men dragging Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega before attacking him. Officers were called to a . LexisNexis Brief Analysis produces powerful, near-instant legal argumentation insights using the power of AI. "Justice for Junior" has become a rallying cry. Passersby try to help. 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. At least 10 other people have been maimed this summer in tit-for-tat attacks in the Bronx. UPDATE! Toni Messina has tried over 100 cases and has been practicing criminal law and immigration since 1990. New Yorkers flooded investigators with tips. Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. READ: #JusticeForJunior: A Group of Men Fatally Stabbed Bronx Teen With Machete. 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 . Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. 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. Mere days after the trial kicked off startling never-before-seen footage of the savage machete attack was presented by prosecutors. It made the tragedy of his killing that much worse and convictions that much more guaranteed. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. AP Bronx gangbangers were given the order to inflict "any kind of damage". Lesandro had bruising, scratches and small puncture wounds on his body, according to autopsy photos. 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. Police have identified them as: Danel Fernandez, Kevin Alvarez, and Michael Sosa Reyes, who has not been charged in relation to Juniors killing. But Reyes told the court that he couldnt follow through with Sueros order after looking Junior in the face. Recommended Stories Deadline. He believed hed found a place to belong. Parked outside the bodega are the cars that chased Junior. Then he walked toward Adams Place, where he sometimes met with friends. 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. Anyone can read what you share. He felt cool. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. 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. "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. Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder, Defense hammers key witness on role in 'Junior' death. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. But the glee I saw in the eyes of spectators at the reading of straight convictions for Murder I was not founded. A street was named after Junior, a scholarship fund, a summer camp. 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. However, all 12 alleged gang members were indicted on second degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon. "See what happens with those killers," said Leandra Feliz. They probablywon't forget itfor the rest of their lives.. 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. Although this position was strenuously argued by defense counsel, the jury ignored it. What could be put in place in their neighborhoods to substitute the pull of the gang? That night, Lesandro had left his home on Bathgate Avenue to lend a friend $5, his mother had said during an interview last year. 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. It is unclear if Reyes is in witness protection or has also been released with other gangbanger-turned-witness Kevin Alvarez, 20. At 10:05 p.m., security footage shows Junior leaving home to meet his friend Jason Velez at this corner. Instead of turning to police, he turned to the Trinitarios, who like him, shared a Dominican heritage. 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. This 15-year-old boy, moments before death, fought like hell to get away, said Dolan. 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. She said she watched the attack from an apartment window and ran downstairs to try to help. 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. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. The cars briefly stop at this intersection, and then turn left in the direction of Juniors path. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. Police had seized the footage that night and it got leaked. 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. The worker again refuses to help. Junior suffered multiple wounds to his face, back, chest, legs and hands. Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here. Two of the clips. The medical examiner testified the wounds on his back and legs were consistent with being dragged. Nils Gerber and Stephen Ball, Stacks' attorneys, presented evidence and rested their case after about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Officer Kyle Oiwaka of the 48th Precinct took the stand on the 12th day of trial to testify about responding to a reported knife assault on the June 2018 night Junior was killed, and gave chilling details of the gory scene. Juniors friend, a Trinitario, had been attacked by a rival faction and allegedly turned to Junior for help. The jury, comprised of 11 women and one man, reached the verdict Friday after going into deliberations Thursday. Junior begins to run and the cars give chase. Hes making more money from Hogwarts: Legacy than her anyway. 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. 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. The New York City Police Foundation announced it planned to set up a scholarship in his name. Theodore Parisienne for The New York Times. And on the night before Juniors murder, he had witnessed another stabbing at Adams Place. At around 11:30, Junior leaves, and two minutes later security cameras catch him on this corner passing near his home. Crime Scene Unit Det. Forsyth County prosecutors rested their case Tuesday morning. The 15-year-old had already been pronounced dead inside the hospital, Officer Oikawa would later learn. Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. . People visit murder site to mourn the death of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz in Bronx in New York, United States on June 27, 2018. . Five gangbangers are on trial for the murder of the 15-year-old in the tragic case of mistaken identity. 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. Its 11:37. 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. Our investigation retraces Juniors last steps and uncovers new details that may answer why he was targeted. 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. Eight others are awaiting trial. News and analysis from this company could be a game-changer for legal professionals working globally. An order had come from Mr. Suero, he said: Go after Sunset you already know what you have to do., Mr. Reyes said he understood that to be an order to do any kind of damage. 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. This story has been shared 137,355 times. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. As opposed to Trump, who says presidents are free to incite at will. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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. 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. Secure New Clients Using A Content Marketing Funnel, Seth Klarman Doesnt Care Whether J.K. Rowling Is Cancelled. The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. The men, traveling in four cars, spotted Lesandro, and one of them shouted a Trinitarios greeting at him: Sunset, Popo, then 1090, which was a password Los Sures used to identify Sunset members, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes said. 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. 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 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. Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes described how their subsets of the Trinitarios terrorized rivals, including a Trinitarios splinter group called Sunset. Of those 38, five were under the age of 10. 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. Privacy Center | I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after LesandroJunior Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Both times the worker refuses to help the young teen. We talked to police sources, family members and other witnesses. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said each of the . Do not sell my information. 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. 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. The night before Lesandro was killed, a large fight had erupted between the gangs, he said. But in this case, she couldnt. Crime, Criminal Defense Attorneys, Gangs, Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz, Manuel Rivera, Murder, Toni Messina. 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. They carried weapons for two reasons for their own protection and to use them to hurt (not kill) a Sunset. 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. The defense will have a chance Monday to call witnesses to the stand if they chose. At the foot of the location I noticed a lot of blood, and people frantically screaming," Officer Oiwaka said about arriving at the entrance to St. Barnabas Hospital in Belmont, where Junior bleeding profusely from his wounds had collapsed in a frantic attempt to get help. If convicted, they face life in prison. They said their subsets, called Los Sures and Bad Boys, abided by a strict code of conduct. Then hes dragged from the bodega and brutally stabbed by a swarm of attackers. We dont know. In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. According to . Closing arguments continue in the murder trial of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. Junior was spotted walking late at night in the Bronx neighborhood frequented by the Sunsets. Witnesses say these two police officers stood by watching the scene. 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. In the video, we see the 15 . 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. 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. She has not been back to court since. Mr. Alvarez testified for the prosecution in return for a lenient sentence. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was murdered outside of a Bronx deli in 2019. 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. A group of gang members armed with machetes and knives. 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.
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