The 15-year-old had already been pronounced dead inside the hospital, Officer Oikawa would later learn. Do not sell my information. The night before Lesandro was killed, a large fight had erupted between the gangs, he said. Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro was not in the photos. Lesandro had bruising, scratches and small puncture wounds on his body, according to autopsy photos. 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. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? 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 . Diego Suero leaving the 48th Precinct in the Bronx. WNBC reported that the grisly images brought some of the jurors to tears. (Police were stationed in the street outside court, anticipating a riot should the verdict not have come back as guilty on all counts.). Seeing his sons clothing proved too much to bear for Juniors father, Lesandro Guzman, who left the courtroom shortly after Oikawas testimony. The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. The footage went viral and with it, rumor and speculation about why the 15-year-old boy known as Junior was singled out. But in this case, she couldnt. The friend says he told Junior not to come over because it was late. 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. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was dragged out of the Cruz and Chiky Grocery bodega at E. 183rd St. and Bathgate Ave in the Belmont neighborhood on Wednesday night. "Justice for Junior" has become a rallying cry. Yesterday lawyers for four of the suspects accused of stabbing 15-year-old . Closing arguments continue in the murder trial of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. Prosecutors showed jurors an autopsy photo showing the lethal wound to the neck of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. He only said that one word -- "water," she testified. They pursued him in cars, mistaking the aspiring NYPD detective for a gangbanger because he supposedly resembled a known one. Richard Harbus "A Bronx jury found the two leaders guilty for their role in the murder, closing another chapter of. How do you protect your children from predators? The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz alleging he was in a gang photo a notion a detective who took the stand denied. I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. In a panic, he tries to hide behind the counter. 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. Content should be organized in different stages, from when potential clients search for initial information to eventually contacting your law firm. A street was named after Junior, a scholarship fund, a summer camp. Its horrific, defense attorney Kyle Watters said of his client, Estrella. 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. Since the violent attack, the communitys outpouring of love and support has been seen in a mural. 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. WNBC reported that the . 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. All 14 suspects are reportedly members of the Sures set of the Trinitarios gang. Add AI Research And Catching Up With Your Law School Buds To The Career Growth List -- See Also, Reach out just to catch up. It was very painful, Guzman told reporters in Spanish. 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. 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. Manuel enjoyed the Trinitarios parties, the hookah, the beads, the hand signs, the comradery, and fact that they had his back. MORE: Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder Then he starts running to St. Barnabas Hospital, just one block away. The vicious murder in June of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz just blocks from his Bronx home drew outrage from across the city and beyond. Rangers trade Kravtsov, waive Leschyshyn, Giants, Jets fans among most passionate in NFL: report, Mets Cohen cautions spending doesnt mean title, Moose on the Loose: Beltran joins Mets front office, Working to improve health care for all New Yorkers, Refresh your February with some finds from Josh McBride, New Cornell University research reveals pistachios, Patrn Perfect Pineapple Margarita plus a chance, Supercharged Entertainment Edison NJ is the place, Beauty and fashion time saver tips that can be done, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Activist killed in police-involved shooting, Rep. 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And on the night before Juniors murder, he had witnessed another stabbing at Adams Place. She has not been back to court since. After Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Fernandez pulled the boy outside, the others attacked. 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. Prosecutors introduced three clips of video. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged out and then hacked to death by five men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx. 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. Go after Sunset, you know what you have to do, Suero reportedly told the men. 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. Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes described how their subsets of the Trinitarios terrorized rivals, including a Trinitarios splinter group called Sunset. But the owner appears to direct him away. That isgonna stick with this jury for the rest of the weekend, he says. (No one claims responsibility.) News and analysis from this company could be a game-changer for legal professionals working globally. The murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, drew outrage across New York City. (Obtained by NY Daily News). 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. UPDATE! Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. We talked to police sources, family members and other witnesses. The friend says they felt things were getting dicey and went inside. Guzman-Feliz's death sparked outrage in the Bronx and beyond and spurred the allocation of $18 million toward gang prevention in the borough. Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. [Featured Image: Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz/Facebook], 6-Year-Old Girl, 2 Adults Critically Wounded by Gunmen Looking for the Little Girls Father, Juror: Alex Murdaugh Convinces Himself of His Own Lies, Detroit Man Charged With Killing Friends Tot Daughter, Lesandro Guzman-Feliz valiantly avoided multiple attempted stabbings. 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. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was slashed in the neck with a machete at a bodega in the Bronx on June 19, 2018. ", If you have a gun, you shoot, he testified. In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. 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. THE BRONX He knew they had killed the wrong guy. How Junior was killed follows a pattern of attacks by Trinitarios, a Dominican gang that was born in New York prisons. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken. One made a gesture as if he were going to hit Lesandro and the teenager ran, the witnesses said. The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. 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. He leaves and immediately three other men enter. An 13th suspect has been confirmed arrested in Junior . Hes at home with his mother. The store has not opened since last Wednesday when the incident took place. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. The teen wanted to be a police. 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. We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. Some Work Things Are Optional. Whether Junior was a gang member or not, didnt justify his death. What could be put in place in their neighborhoods to substitute the pull of the gang? The referrals are a nice bonus too! On the night of Juniors murder, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members when they spotted the 15-year-old walking. Five other people have been arrested and accused of involvement in the crime. His English was poor. He did not act with the intent to kill.. In the video, we see the 15 . Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. Its 11:39. It appeared from a video of the crime (caught from multiple angles) that each attacked him viciously. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps, MACHETE MONSTERS GUILTY.. The New York City Police Foundation announced it planned to set up a scholarship in his name. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence., Lesandros mother, Leandra Feliz said, Im not going to have my son back, but those killers, those murderers, theyre not going to be outside killing another kid.. I didnt see the person who had just finished getting stabbed there, Mr. Alvarez said, choking back tears. However, all 12 alleged gang members were indicted on second degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Junior then comes back to the store bloodied. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. Members of the Trinitarios gang were hunting for enemies in the Bronx last summer when they found a 15-year-old boy on his phone and walking alone. No one, not prosecutors or police, wanted to admit, that Junior had gang connections. A warning: These next scenes are hard to watch, and weve obscured some graphic parts. 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. At the moment I saw his face, my eyes changed. 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 . Junior then walks out of the bodega. Brown said Janari became the 38th juvenile murdered in gun violence in Chicago in the first seven months of 2020. Is that why Junior was targeted? He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. The medical examiner testified the wounds on his back and legs were consistent with being dragged. READ: #JusticeForJunior: 19-Year-Old Charged in the Murder of Bronx Teenager. She used her summation to show the jury the boys final moments repeatedly, slowing it down to show each defendants actions. The dad struggled to make a living and Manuel struggled in school. 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. 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. The five men who viciously slashed a New York teenager to death with . Two of the clips. Then hes dragged from the bodega and brutally stabbed by a swarm of attackers. 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. Toni Messina has tried over 100 cases and has been practicing criminal law and immigration since 1990. As opposed to Trump, who says presidents are free to incite at will. Dr. Rodriguez said its possible if pressure was applied to the wound and Junior was brought to the hospital earlier, he could have survived. 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. After the attack, the gang returned to Mr. Sueros home on Boston Road, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes said. After a weeks-long trial filled with emotional testimonies, chilling revelations and graphic photos, the jury reached a verdict in the Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz murder trial. He felt cool. What is the derivation of this distorted quest for manhood and meaning? They said their subsets, called Los Sures and Bad Boys, abided by a strict code of conduct. At least 10 other people have been maimed this summer in tit-for-tat attacks in the Bronx. "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. Parked outside the bodega are the cars that chased Junior. 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. Warning Graphic Video Below. Junior suffered multiple wounds to his face, back, chest, legs and hands. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. 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. You can follow her on Twitter:@tonitamess. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged out and then hacked to death by five men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx. It led to a clearer morality tale. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. Nothing can. Henry also told of discovering a five-inch blade inside the passenger seat pocket of suspect Kevins Alvarezs 2003 gray Acura. But a leading police theory is the attackers mistakenly believed Junior was in a rival gang. A string of shootings across Chicago Wednesday left at least 10 people shot, and, according to police, at least half of those who suffered gunshot wounds were under the age of 16. In the beginning of the video, the teen is seen trying to hide behind the counter. Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. 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. Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. 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. We will never sell or share your information without your consent. THE BRONX As they rested their case in the Junior murder trial Friday, prosecutors turned to the medical examiner who performed the teens autopsy, offering graphic detail of the wound that killed the 15-year-old almost a year ago. 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. It is unclear if Reyes is in witness protection or has also been released with other gangbanger-turned-witness Kevin Alvarez, 20. Five more gang members pleaded guilty in the brutal machete stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz inside a Bronx bodega in 2018. She described, in heartbreaking detail, how Guzman-Feliz looked up at her after the attack and motioned her to call 911. 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. 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. In total, more than a dozen suspects have been arrested in connection to the killing. The New York City Police Foundation announced it planned to set up a scholarship in his name. He believed hed found a place to belong. The second day of trial in the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was emotional and filled with graphic video and photos. His history was whitewashed. Subscribe and get breaking news, commentary, and opinions on law firms, lawyers, law schools, lawsuits, judges, and more. "This 15-year-old boy, moments before death, fought like . Closing arguments proved to be just as emotional, as some jury members shed tears. When Junior ran, the group gave chase. 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. 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.". If you have a machete, use the machete.. Why do so many buy into a life that restricts their freedom, imposes beatings for disobeying gang rules, and calls for violence to others? Recommended Stories Deadline. What Better Place To Network Than The Facebook Friends List? Guzman-Feliz's mother, Leandra Feliz, wept and screamed at times during the emotional trial.. 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,. Sofia Henry also testified Thursday, telling jurors about photos she took on the night of the incident. Officers were called to a . 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. LexisNexis Brief Analysis produces powerful, near-instant legal argumentation insights using the power of AI. AP Bronx gangbangers were given the order to inflict "any kind of damage". However, police have said the teens murder was a case of mistaken identity. Ultimately, he was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away.
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