Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here. In the video, we see the 15 . After Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Fernandez pulled the boy outside, the others attacked. : Reach out just to catch up. Prosecutors say that Jonaiki Martinez gave the fatal stab, slashing Juniors neck. Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. 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. People visit murder site to mourn the death of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz in Bronx in New York, United States on June 27, 2018. . GRAPHIC: CCTV and bystanders filming with their phones captured the gruesome Bronx bodega machete stabbing murder of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman by Trinitarios gang members. During Tuesdays closing arguments, Bronx assistant district attorney Morgan Dolan told the jury how Lesandro Guzman-Feliz valiantly avoided multiple attempted stabbings by a mob of men who had dragged him out of a bodega on June 20. All 14 suspects are reportedly members of the Sures set of the Trinitarios gang. 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. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? Junior was spotted walking late at night in the Bronx neighborhood frequented by the Sunsets. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). Heres How To Get Yours Right. Its Wednesday, June 20. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. "If they continue the violence in the city, theyre going to get the same thing. Following that, no amount of logic, analysis, or pleas for reason could convince jurors to set aside their emotions. In a panic, he tries to hide behind the counter. I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. The cars then split up and appear to surround him. It was a lawyers argument (as the judges law clerk put it) intellectual, nitpicky not visceral. When The Founder Of SCOTUSblog Calles It Quits, You Know Something Is UP: 5 is a tough crowd, 6 is a waste of time. But Morgan Dolan, the lead prosecutor, countered that weapons like knives and machetes kill and the gang members went in knowing that.. It also made his story easier to use as a rallying cry to target gangs that attract and control vulnerable teens like Manuel. There, leaders passed around cellphone pictures of various Sunset members and asked the returning soldiers to identify the person they stabbed. Yes, he put the knife through his neck. In the beginning of the video, the teen is seen trying to hide behind the counter. ", "It was a terrible year, it felt like 10 years. Knitting, perhaps, Some things we just dont share with the class, Kamala Harris Has Been Busy Breaking Judiciary Ties, DOJ Makes Radical Argument That Inciting Violence Is *Not* Within The Scope Of The President's Job, Working To Incorporate Legal Technology Into Your Practice Isn't Just A Great Business Move -- It's Required, Add Ai Research And Catching Up With Your Law School Buds To The Career Growth List See Also, Thomson Reuters Practical Law The Journal: Transactions & Business, The State Of Todays Corporate Law Departments, MyCase Continues To Simplify Law Firm Accounting, Right Where You Manage Your Practice, Meet LINK: The Easy Way To Handle All Your Document Workflows On Your Mobile Device In A Single App, Four Tips For Solo Attorneys To Build Their Marketing And Media Relations Skills, First Impressions Are Worth Millions For Summers. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was slashed in the neck with a machete at a bodega in the Bronx on June 19, 2018. 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. Instead of turning to police, he turned to the Trinitarios, who like him, shared a Dominican heritage. They pursued him in cars, mistaking the aspiring NYPD detective for a gangbanger because he supposedly resembled a known one. The friend says he told Junior not to come over because it was late. 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. Five other people have been arrested and accused of involvement in the crime. He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken. Recommended Stories Deadline. Juniors friend, a Trinitario, had been attacked by a rival faction and allegedly turned to Junior for help. It made the tragedy of his killing that much worse and convictions that much more guaranteed. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after LesandroJunior Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. Dr. Rodriguez said its possible if pressure was applied to the wound and Junior was brought to the hospital earlier, he could have survived. After that, they will lead off summations. Five more gang members pleaded guilty in the brutal machete stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz inside a Bronx bodega in 2018. Guzman-Feliz's mother, Leandra Feliz, wept and screamed at times during the emotional trial.. Then, Elvin Garcia, who police say is seen here wearing a mask. The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. 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.. 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. Closing arguments proved to be just as emotional, as some jury members shed tears. Dr. Rodriguez also said it was possible Junior may have survived if brought to the hospital sooner. But he acted with intent to harm. Privacy Center | Dixons closing arguments also included the presentation of autopsy photos showing the wound to Guzman-Felizs neck which reportedly killed him. Erica Byfield reports. We will never sell or share your information without your consent. Their trial provided a glimpse inside the violent Trinitarios gang, whose members mistook 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz for a rival. The father of Junior Guzman-Felizthe 15-year-old New York boy whose mistaken-identity murder was caught on tapereportedly screamed and cursed at one of his son's accused killers during a Thursday court hearing which included testimony of what transpired after the teen's stabbing death. Does An In Depth Analysis Predicting SCOTUS Decisions Help You Wind Down? 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. JOLIET, Ill. - A toddler accidentally shot himself in the head after he found an unsecured gun in a Joliet home Tuesday afternoon, according to police. 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. 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. 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. 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. [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. WNBC reported that the grisly images brought some of the jurors to tears. The teen wanted to be a police. He was then stabbed and hacked to death with machetes by several attackers after being mistakenly identified. But it was Mr. Martinez Estrella who delivered the fatal blow when he shoved a large knife into the side of Lesandros neck, penetrating 4.5 inches and cutting his jugular vein, a medical examiner testified. The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. 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. On June 20, members of both Bronx sets had spent much of the day hunting for their enemies, Mr. Alvarez said. 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. See our privacy policy. At least 10 other people have been maimed this summer in tit-for-tat attacks in the Bronx. The trial also included shocking revelations, including when it was learned that the self-proclaimed gang member who testified against the other five alleged Trinitarios members on trial could get off because of his testimony. 270p. Kevin Alvarez, who pleaded guilty a weeks ago, took the stand to testify on behalf of the prosecution. She said it cut the bone that protects the spinal cord and left an exit wound on the other side of his neck. Some Work Things Are Optional. The boy was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz alleging he was in a gang photo a notion a detective who took the stand denied. The night before Lesandro was killed, a large fight had erupted between the gangs, he said. . Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. UPDATE! Police have identified them as: Danel Fernandez, Kevin Alvarez, and Michael Sosa Reyes, who has not been charged in relation to Juniors killing. It brought cries for vengeance couched in the Justice for Junior slogan. Last Friday, five men were convicted of murder in the first degree for the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman Feliz in June 2018. 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. 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. Do not sell my information. Crime, Criminal Defense Attorneys, Gangs, Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz, Manuel Rivera, Murder, Toni Messina. We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. His history was whitewashed. 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. 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. Understanding Big Law: A Must-Read Guide To One Of The Most Challenging Workplaces In The World Is Now Available. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was murdered outside of a Bronx deli in 2019. Manuel Rivera came from the Dominican Republic (legally) at age 15 with his dad and two sisters. Members of the Police Departments Law Enforcement Explorers program attending a memorial for Lesandro last year. 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. "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. 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.. The referrals are a nice bonus too, Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later, Enjoy. AP Bronx gangbangers were given the order to inflict "any kind of damage". Five men approached, including Manuel, weapons in hand. She said she watched the attack from an apartment window and ran downstairs to try to help. But its too late. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It is unclear if Reyes is in witness protection or has also been released with other gangbanger-turned-witness Kevin Alvarez, 20. The murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, drew outrage across New York City. Registration or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. #justiceforjunior #ripjunior ALL THAT MUST STOP . A teenager hunted down and dragged from a New York City bodega, then swarmed by attackers outside. She has not been back to court since. Secure New Clients Using A Content Marketing Funnel, Seth Klarman Doesnt Care Whether J.K. Rowling Is Cancelled. Putting four young men in jail for life for a murder they didnt intend (each was either running away, or nowhere near Junior when Estrella inflicted the fatal wound) should thrill no one. Video footage was released on social media that showed the murder. However, all 12 alleged gang members were indicted on second degree murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon. 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. 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. New York Police Department . Members of Los Sures took orders from a leader named Diego Suero, whom they called Santa Claus.. I dont want to see it again. The panel found all five guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second-degree conspiracy and second-degree gang assault. The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. According to prosecutors, Jos Muniz first hacks Junior with a machete. 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? Richard Harbus "A Bronx jury found the two leaders guilty for their role in the murder, closing another chapter of. 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.