It made the tragedy of his killing that much worse and convictions that much more guaranteed. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence.. All five defendants were found guilty of murder in first and second degree, as well as conspiracy and gang assault charges. Manuel enjoyed the Trinitarios parties, the hookah, the beads, the hand signs, the comradery, and fact that they had his back. Continuing coverage on the trial can be read here. 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. When Junior ran, the group gave chase. Friends and family told us that Junior wasnt in a gang and the police have no such indication, either. In the beginning of the video, the teen is seen trying to hide behind the counter. The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. 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. We will never sell or share your information without your consent. Its Wednesday, June 20. 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. Henry said Junior had a large open wound on the right side of his neck when she saw his body in the morgue. 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. 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. Fourteen men have been criminally charged in connection with Guzman-Felizs slaying. Yesterday lawyers for four of the suspects accused of stabbing 15-year-old . 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. Richard Harbus "A Bronx jury found the two leaders guilty for their role in the murder, closing another chapter of. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said each of the . Mr. Sueros trial is expected to start soon. 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. 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. We obtained footage from multiple security cameras and cellphones. 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. Todays verdict fortifies the Bronx communitys stand against violence, "Today Junior's family, and in fact our entire city, has received a measure of justice," Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz said in a statement. : Reach out just to catch up. A group of gang members armed with machetes and knives. Nils Gerber and Stephen Ball, Stacks' attorneys, presented evidence and rested their case after about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Junior is on summer break from school. The vicious murder in June of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz just blocks from his Bronx home drew outrage from across the city and beyond. His English was poor. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. A warning: These next scenes are hard to watch, and weve obscured some graphic parts. Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? The night before Lesandro was killed, a large fight had erupted between the gangs, he said. 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. Antonio Santiago is seen here from this other angle. Passersby try to help. ", If you have a gun, you shoot, he testified. "This 15-year-old boy, moments before death, fought like . Sofia Henry also testified Thursday, telling jurors about photos she took on the night of the incident. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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.. Prosecutors showed jurors an autopsy photo showing the lethal wound to the neck of Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz. The panel found all five guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second-degree conspiracy and second-degree gang assault. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz, 15, was slashed in the neck with a machete at a bodega in the Bronx on June 19, 2018. (No one claims responsibility.) At 11:35, a security camera films four cars driving slowly past the stoop where Juniors friend and some others were sitting. 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. Five more gang members pleaded guilty in the brutal machete stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz inside a Bronx bodega in 2018. But Reyes told the court that he couldnt follow through with Sueros order after looking Junior in the face. Juniors parents, Leandra Feliz and Lisandro Guzman, were not present in the courtroom during the medical examiners testimony. 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. Of those 38, five were under the age of 10. But in this case, she couldnt. (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. 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. That night, Lesandro had left his home on Bathgate Avenue to lend a friend $5, his mother had said during an interview last year. This Tool Can Help. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole on the murder conviction. This story has been shared 137,355 times. 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. At Least Your Colleague Spat Wasnt This Bad: Some things we just dont share with the class. What could be put in place in their neighborhoods to substitute the pull of the gang? Juniors friend, a Trinitario, had been attacked by a rival faction and allegedly turned to Junior for help. 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. This Aint One Of Them: Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon Some Work Things Are Optional. Manuel Rivera came from the Dominican Republic (legally) at age 15 with his dad and two sisters. Knitting, perhaps? GRAPHIC: CCTV and bystanders filming with their phones captured the gruesome Bronx bodega machete stabbing murder of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman by Trinitarios gang members. How do you protect your children from predators? He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. READ: #JusticeForJunior: A Group of Men Fatally Stabbed Bronx Teen With Machete. THE BRONX He knew they had killed the wrong guy. 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. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. Registration or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The five men who viciously slashed a New York teenager to death with . They also face manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and weapons charges. "I saw a smile on my mothers face really, really excited.". The defense will have a chance Monday to call witnesses to the stand if they chose. Junior begins to run and the cars give chase. 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. 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. Witnesses say these two police officers stood by watching the scene. A street was named after Junior, a scholarship fund, a summer camp. 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. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Martin Goldberg, defense attorney for Jose Muniz who once cried in court during his arraignment said his client was made the poster boy for Juniors horrific death, because Muniz was seen carrying a machete. The murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, drew outrage across New York City. The cars then split up and appear to surround him. Hes at home with his mother. In total, more than a dozen suspects have been arrested in connection to the killing. There, leaders passed around cellphone pictures of various Sunset members and asked the returning soldiers to identify the person they stabbed. 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. The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz alleging he was in a gang photo a notion a detective who took the stand denied. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. "If they continue the violence in the city, theyre going to get the same thing.
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