2022.08.24 WednesdayNils Gerber and Stephen Ball, Stacks' attorneys, presented evidence and rested their case after about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. She has not been back to court since. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. Junior stumbles back into the bodega, leaving a trail of blood on the floor. The murder was just as horrific. Its 11:39. Facing first-degree murder charges in Juniors death are alleged Trinitarios street gang members Antonio Rodriguez, Hernandez Santiago, Elvin Garcia, Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Jos Muiz and Manuel Rivera. The night of the murder, my client, Manuel Rivera, wasnt carrying a machete; he wasnt a monster and he never intended to kill Junior. 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. (Obtained by NY Daily News). The friend says they felt things were getting dicey and went inside. 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George Santos introduced his first bill in Congress, Program provides hearing screenings for immigrant, Vegan doughnut shop shaking things up in Brooklyn, Nonprofit bakery looks for permanent home, How to kill spotted lanternflies before they hatch, Projections show Social Security fund running dry, Zombie drug tranq was in Puerto Rico 10 years ago, Behold, The Coney: First look at proposed BK casino, BK fast-food joint robbed via drive-thru window:, Gunman in hazmat suit shot, killed NYC deli worker:, BK train rider hit by man told not to touch her:, Calls for healthcare covereage of undocumented NYers, How to report no heat in NYC: Resources for tenants, Rising rent in NYC: Heres what tenants need to know, Suicide prevention and mental health resources, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Junior rushes into this bodega just one block from his home. Hundreds attended his funeral last summer. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. But a leading police theory is the attackers mistakenly believed Junior was in a rival gang. According to . The ADAs argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Juniors neck the medical examiner says killed him. We dont know. He specializes, New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after. The ADA's argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Junior's neck the medical examiner says killed him. They also argued their clients were pretending to stab Lesandro because gang leaders were watching the assault. Juniors friend, a Trinitario, had been attacked by a rival faction and allegedly turned to Junior for help. On June 20, members of both Bronx sets had spent much of the day hunting for their enemies, Mr. Alvarez said. : Enjoy. 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. JOLIET, Ill. (AP) A Chicago-area toddler was hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday after finding an unsecured gun and shooting himself in the head, police said. 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? Five gangbangers are on trial for the murder of the 15-year-old in the tragic case of mistaken identity. During the cops testimony, a white t-shirt completely saturated in the boys blood as well as blood-soaked boxers, a sock, and a blue zip-up sweatshirt designed with stars and stripes were shown to jurors. Members of the Bronx sets also wanted revenge because a Sunset member had shot one of the Bad Boys in the face, Mr. Alvarez said. Is that why Junior was targeted? Privacy Center | Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said each of the . But the owner appears to direct him away. Junior then comes back to the store bloodied. He felt cool. Amazingly, a customer is seen purchasing an item over Juniors blood. She described, in heartbreaking detail, how Guzman-Feliz looked up at her after the attack and motioned her to call 911. All five defendants Antonio Santigo, Elvin Garcia, Manuel Rivera, Estrella and Muniz were members of the Trinitarios gang. 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. 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. 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. Dr. Rodriguez also said it was possible Junior may have survived if brought to the hospital sooner. Then he walked toward Adams Place, where he sometimes met with friends. Lesandro had bruising, scratches and small puncture wounds on his body, according to autopsy photos. He was depicted in murals and online with a halo and angel wings. Continuing coverage on the trial can be read here. Junior then walks out of the bodega. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. The defense will have a chance Monday to call witnesses to the stand if they chose. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. We obtained footage from multiple security cameras and cellphones. Friends and family told us that Junior wasnt in a gang and the police have no such indication, either. 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. His English was poor. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All of the men charged have pleaded not guilty. The jury, comprised of 11 women and one man, reached the verdict Friday after going into deliberations Thursday. Guzman-Feliz's mother, Leandra Feliz, wept and screamed at times during the emotional trial.. He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken. Junior suffered multiple wounds to his face, back, chest, legs and hands. She said she watched the attack from an apartment window and ran downstairs to try to help. Secure New Clients Using A Content Marketing Funnel, Seth Klarman Doesnt Care Whether J.K. Rowling Is Cancelled. 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. It is unclear if Reyes is in witness protection or has also been released with other gangbanger-turned-witness Kevin Alvarez, 20. This Aint One Of Them: Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later. In total, more than a dozen suspects have been arrested in connection to the killing. A bottle of hate had been uncorked and there was no way to close it. Meanwhile, the defense argued that testimony supports that the suspects didnt mean to kill Guzman-Feliz. Hes at home with his mother. But at the end, it has a happy ending," said Manny Ortiz. He makes it to the entrance of the hospital before collapsing. Because he resisted their efforts to stab him does not diminish their intent.. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon Frederick Then was arrested in 2018 in connection with Lesandros death. Surveillance cameras reportedly caught a group of men dragging Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega before attacking him. I dont want to see it again. Although this position was strenuously argued by defense counsel, the jury ignored it. "This 15-year-old boy, moments before death, fought like . 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. Junior and the bodega owner appear to have an exchange with Kevin Alvarez before Junior is grabbed and beaten on the ground. Mr. Reyes said they falsely told the store owner that Lesandro had attacked his own grandmother. The only injury that caused Juniors death was clearly the neck wound. Dixon's closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Feliz's neck which reportedly killed him. . People visit murder site to mourn the death of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz in Bronx in New York, United States on June 27, 2018. . 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. But its too late. 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. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was brutally attacked and slashed to death in June 2018 in a case of mistaken identity. See our privacy policy. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. It brought cries for vengeance couched in the Justice for Junior slogan. 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. No one, not prosecutors or police, wanted to admit, that Junior had gang connections. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. The defense team asked Dr. Rodriguez if any of these additional wounds contributed to the teens death. 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. Crime, Criminal Defense Attorneys, Gangs, Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz, Manuel Rivera, Murder, Toni Messina. Our investigation retraces Juniors last steps and uncovers new details that may answer why he was targeted. 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. Officers were called to a . 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. If you have a machete, use the machete.. : Reach out just to catch up. Mr. Reyes testified that Lesandro responded by raising his hand and saying Que lo siete, which Mr. Reyes said signaled that the teenager was a Sunset member. At least 10 people had been injured in June in a series of street battles. The New York Post ran a front-page headline in bold caps,. 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. 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. Members of Los Sures took orders from a leader named Diego Suero, whom they called Santa Claus.. If they did not participate, the lawyers said, they would have been disciplined. Fourteen men have been criminally charged in connection with Guzman-Felizs slaying. Our investigation retraces his last steps and reveals how a recent wave of violence took his life just two blocks from home. The knife used to deliver the lethal blow to Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz last June 20 went clear through the teens neck, causing him to bleed to death, the medical examiner, Dr. Sophia Rodriguez, testified. They said their subsets, called Los Sures and Bad Boys, abided by a strict code of conduct. At the moment I saw his face, my eyes changed. In recent months, turf wars have spiked among rival Trinitario factions. Last Friday, five men were convicted of murder in the first degree for the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz in June 2018. 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. Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here. The murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, drew outrage across New York City. That wound was inflicted by one defendant alone, Mr. Estrella. Dimas Sanfiorenzo is the Managing Editor for Okayplayer. In the beginning of the video, the teen is seen trying to hide behind the counter. (Police were stationed in the street outside court, anticipating a riot should the verdict not have come back as guilty on all counts.). 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. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]. He believed hed found a place to belong. Junior's parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. 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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. I didnt see the person who had just finished getting stabbed there, Mr. Alvarez said, choking back tears. "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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. There, leaders passed around cellphone pictures of various Sunset members and asked the returning soldiers to identify the person they stabbed. The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. Recommended Stories Deadline. 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. The five men who viciously slashed a New York teenager to death with . When The Founder Of SCOTUSblog Calles It Quits, You Know Something Is UP: 5 is a tough crowd, 6 is a waste of time. That isgonna stick with this jury for the rest of the weekend, he says. A teenager hunted down and dragged from a New York City bodega, then swarmed by attackers outside. But Reyes told the court that he couldnt follow through with Sueros order after looking Junior in the face. This story has been shared 137,355 times. dragged him from the store and stabbed him to death. 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. Its alleged that defendant Jonaiki Martinez Estrella plunged the knife into Juniors neck near the end of the 20-second attack. Prosecutors showed jurors an autopsy photo showing the lethal wound to the neck of Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz. 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. 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. Junior was spotted walking late at night in the Bronx neighborhood frequented by the Sunsets. But in this case, she couldnt. 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. 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. 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. Henry said Junior had a large open wound on the right side of his neck when she saw his body in the morgue. Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes described how their subsets of the Trinitarios terrorized rivals, including a Trinitarios splinter group called Sunset. 2023 Breaking Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Fellow defendant Jose Muniz was heard saying "Trinitarios to the day I die" as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. She said it cut the bone that protects the spinal cord and left an exit wound on the other side of his neck. They attempted to cast blame on Mr. Martinez Estrella for Lesandros death. 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. [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. 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. Guzman-Feliz had been part of the NYPD's Explorers program, a group for youths interested in a law enforcement career. The New York City Police Foundation announced it planned to set up a scholarship in his name. WNBC reported that the . Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. Prosecutors previously said the teen succumbed to a neck wound caused by a 4-and-a-half inch knife that severed his jugular vein. He was then stabbed and hacked to death with machetes by several attackers after being mistakenly identified. He gave a coded gang response when asked a question by a Trinitarios gang member driving by. We will never sell or share your information without your consent. A street was named after Junior, a scholarship fund, a summer camp. At 11:35, a security camera films four cars driving slowly past the stoop where Juniors friend and some others were sitting. 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. 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. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was murdered outside of a Bronx deli in 2019. 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. Its horrific, defense attorney Kyle Watters said of his client, Estrella. A post shared by Robert Williams (@areumdawo_saja) on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT. 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,. 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. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. Find Lesandro stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. "I saw a smile on my mothers face really, really excited.". Registration or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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.". Reyes told the jury he chased a frightened Junior inside the bodega and lied to the storekeeper that the teen had done something to my grandmother.. He only said that one word -- "water," she testified. After the attack, the gang returned to Mr. Sueros home on Boston Road, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes said. The dad struggled to make a living and Manuel struggled in school. The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? GRAPHIC: CCTV and bystanders filming with their phones captured the gruesome Bronx bodega machete stabbing murder of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman by Trinitarios gang members. What we do know is that for Junior like many teenagers growing up in gang-afflicted areas theres a fine line between hanging out on the streets and getting caught up in deadly violence.
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