After Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Fernandez pulled the boy outside, the others attacked. The men punched and kicked Lesandro before dragging him out. 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. We will never sell or share your information without your consent. #justiceforjunior #ripjunior ALL THAT MUST STOP . The cars briefly stop at this intersection, and then turn left in the direction of Juniors path. MORE: Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder At least 10 other people have been maimed this summer in tit-for-tat attacks in the Bronx. 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. "If they continue the violence in the city, theyre going to get the same thing. 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. 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. 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. 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.. New York Police Department . Then, Elvin Garcia, who police say is seen here wearing a mask. Juniors friend, a Trinitario, had been attacked by a rival faction and allegedly turned to Junior for help. Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. But at the end, it has a happy ending," said Manny Ortiz. The night before Lesandro was killed, a large fight had erupted between the gangs, he said. Only someone in the gang would know the response. Passersby try to help. Understanding Big Law: A Must-Read Guide To One Of The Most Challenging Workplaces In The World Is Now Available. The teen wanted to be a police. The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. Junior gestures for someone to call 911. 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. He gave a coded gang response when asked a question by a Trinitarios gang member driving by. 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. 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. 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. Just after the stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz last June 20, members of the Trinitarios were examining a photo of gang . Man arrested for stealing fire department truck:, Coincidence prompted Powerball winner to buy ticket, Two women attacked from behind by group: NYPD, Moose on the Loose: Battle to become Yankees shortstop, Pop-up grocery store opens in Greenwich Village, Expert raises awareness about eating disorders, NY Rep. Dan Goldman talks House ethics probe into, What to know about teens and their mental health, Read Across America Day kicks off at NYC bookstore, Womens History Month: Highlighting women in medicine. If convicted, they face life in prison. His understanding, as was everyones, was that the group was ordered to physically harm (not kill) any Sunset they found. Forsyth County prosecutors rested their case Tuesday morning. Five men approached, including Manuel, weapons in hand. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. 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. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja) on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? As one defense counsel said in his summation, the biggest obstacle in this case for defendants was not the facts, it was the anger and the desire for retribution., The video of the killing was released to social media only hours after Juniors death. Manuel Rivera came from the Dominican Republic (legally) at age 15 with his dad and two sisters. 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. WNBC reported that the . 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. After the attack, the gang returned to Mr. Sueros home on Boston Road, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes said. We dont know. 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. Fourteen men have been criminally charged in connection with Guzman-Felizs slaying. 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. It was very painful, Guzman told reporters in Spanish. The murder of Lesandro rattled the city, prompting outrage on social media and calls for justice from elected officials and celebrities, including the rapper Cardi B and the Yankees pitcher C.C. 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Mere days after the trial kicked off startling never-before-seen footage of the savage machete attack was presented by prosecutors. Then he walked toward Adams Place, where he sometimes met with friends. I explained to her what happened and she told me that I had to come back and face my consequences, he said about confessing to his mom. According to prosecutors, Jos Muniz first hacks Junior with a machete. Henry also told of discovering a five-inch blade inside the passenger seat pocket of suspect Kevins Alvarezs 2003 gray Acura. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. Investigators say the group mistook Guzman-Feliz, who was not affiliated with any gang, for a member of the rival fraction of the Trinitarios gang. 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. Five gangbangers are on trial for the murder of the 15-year-old in the tragic case of mistaken identity. New Yorkers flooded investigators with tips. Subscribe and get breaking news, commentary, and opinions on law firms, lawyers, law schools, lawsuits, judges, and more. 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. Its Wednesday, June 20. The New York City Police Foundation announced it planned to set up a scholarship in his name. If they did not participate, the lawyers said, they would have been disciplined. 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. That isgonna stick with this jury for the rest of the weekend, he says. Meanwhile a number of Bronx businesses are learning to be 'safe havens' for people in danger after a bodega owner was criticized for not doing enough 'Junior', who was killed outside his store. "A bright, beloved, athletic, soon-to . Except thats not what happened. [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. 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Kevin Alvarez, third from left, and Elvin Garcia, both members of the Trinitarios gang, appearing before a judge in 2018. : Enjoy. The five men who viciously slashed a New York teenager to death with . Once that video was out, it took on a life of its own causing the defendants to lose the presumption of innocence and any chance for a fair trial (at least that close in time to the event itself under one year. A group of gang members armed with machetes and knives. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. Then hes dragged from the bodega and brutally stabbed by a swarm of attackers. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after LesandroJunior Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Members of Los Sures took orders from a leader named Diego Suero, whom they called Santa Claus.. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. An 13th suspect has been confirmed arrested in Junior . Just 20 minutes later, Junior is pronounced dead as a result of a stab wound to the neck. 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. was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. 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. Their trial provided a glimpse inside the violent Trinitarios gang, whose members mistook 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz for a rival. 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. The dad struggled to make a living and Manuel struggled in school. 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. Ultimately, he was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. Go after Sunset, you know what you have to do, Suero reportedly told the men. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro was not in the photos. Junior and the bodega owner appear to have an exchange with Kevin Alvarez before Junior is grabbed and beaten on the ground. 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. They also face manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and weapons charges. But the glee I saw in the eyes of spectators at the reading of straight convictions for Murder I was not founded. 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. They attempted to cast blame on Mr. Martinez Estrella for Lesandros death. 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. Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes described how their subsets of the Trinitarios terrorized rivals, including a Trinitarios splinter group called Sunset. Junior then walks out of the bodega. dragged him from the store and stabbed him to death. "Justice for Junior" has become a rallying cry. It is unclear what the jury decided on. READ: #JusticeForJunior: A Group of Men Fatally Stabbed Bronx Teen With Machete. 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 footage went viral and with it, rumor and speculation about why the 15-year-old boy known as Junior was singled out. 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. (Police were stationed in the street outside court, anticipating a riot should the verdict not have come back as guilty on all counts.). The referrals are a nice bonus too! 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. Nothing can. Dr. Rodriguez confirmed what was already revealed in her report: that Juniors cause of death was a stab wound to the neck that came from a knife 4 1/2 inches in depth cutting his jugular vein.. One made a gesture as if he were going to hit Lesandro and the teenager ran, the witnesses said. 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. The second day of trial in the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was emotional and filled with graphic video and photos. We've received your submission. Does An In Depth Analysis Predicting SCOTUS Decisions Help You Wind Down? Police had seized the footage that night and it got leaked. The ADA's argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Junior's neck the medical examiner says killed him. Last week, court officers had to restrain and remove a screaming Leandra Feliz as Judge Robert Neary blasted her as hysterical.. We're about five years off of Best Buy having a 'Legal Troubleshooting' department, aren't we? But I understand why the People adopted the Junior-as-saint story. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. Police have identified them as: Danel Fernandez, Kevin Alvarez, and Michael Sosa Reyes, who has not been charged in relation to Juniors killing. 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.