On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. This Tool Can Help. She described, in heartbreaking detail, how Guzman-Feliz looked up at her after the attack and motioned her to call 911. What Do Millennials Think Of Law Firm Life? Erica Byfield reports. As opposed to Trump, who says presidents are free to incite at will. THE BRONX He knew they had killed the wrong guy. 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 . But I understand why the People adopted the Junior-as-saint story. Both times the worker refuses to help the young teen. MORE: Justice for Junior Special: More than a Murder New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Junior is on summer break from school. Surveillance cameras reportedly caught a group of men dragging Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega before attacking him. Mr. Sueros trial is expected to start soon. The indicted are due back in court Oct. 25. 2023 Breaking Media, Inc. All rights reserved. What Better Place To Network Than The Facebook Friends List? Prosecution rests in Junior case after showing graphic autopsy photo Chicago-Area 2-Year-Old Critical After Shooting Self in Head Privacy Center | Do not sell my information. An 13th suspect has been confirmed arrested in Junior . They attempted to cast blame on Mr. Martinez Estrella for Lesandros death. On June 20, members of both Bronx sets had spent much of the day hunting for their enemies, Mr. Alvarez said. Criminal defense attorney Chris Carrion has been observing the trial from the start. Of those 38, five were under the age of 10. Henry also told of discovering a five-inch blade inside the passenger seat pocket of suspect Kevins Alvarezs 2003 gray Acura. The media ran with the narrative, promoted by the prosecution and the family of the deceased, that the 15-year-old was killed in a case of mistaken identification by gangbangers, viciously stabbed by all of them and killed, Caesar-like, from the cuts of many wounds. 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. That wound was inflicted by one defendant alone, Mr. Estrella. Why do so many buy into a life that restricts their freedom, imposes beatings for disobeying gang rules, and calls for violence to others? The mural outside of the bodega where Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was attacked bears his birth and death dates: 2002 and 2018. I saw he was scared, and he reminded me of a person that I had seen before, Reyes said, adding he felt very bad about the murder. Video footage was released on social media that showed the murder. "If they continue the violence in the city, theyre going to get the same thing. Five gang members sentenced for killing a 15-year-old with a machete - CNN But at the end, it has a happy ending," said Manny Ortiz. Then he starts running to St. Barnabas Hospital, just one block away. Richard Harbus "A Bronx jury found the two leaders guilty for their role in the murder, closing another chapter of. 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. During closing arguments, some jurors were seen crying as autopsy photos were displayed. But the owner appears to direct him away. 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.". It made the tragedy of his killing that much worse and convictions that much more guaranteed. was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. The men punched and kicked Lesandro before dragging him out. Kevin Alvarez, who pleaded guilty a weeks ago, took the stand to testify on behalf of the prosecution. Some Work Things Are Optional. #justiceforjunior #ripjunior ALL THAT MUST STOP . 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. He felt cool. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after LesandroJunior Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. The friend says he told Junior not to come over because it was late. The dad struggled to make a living and Manuel struggled in school. 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. (Jefferson Siegel/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS). Nils Gerber and Stephen Ball, Stacks' attorneys, presented evidence and rested their case after about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Reyes fled to the Dominican Republic on June 21 to see his mother after learning he was present in a murder but returned the following day and handed himself in to police before entering a plea deal in August. 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. Closing Aguments In 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz Murder Trial Crime, Criminal Defense Attorneys, Gangs, Lesandro Junior Guzman Feliz, Manuel Rivera, Murder, Toni Messina. It led to a clearer morality tale. Gang ordered 'damage' before 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz death - New York Post If they did not participate, the lawyers said, they would have been disciplined. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know 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. All of the men charged have pleaded not guilty. Mr. Alvarez testified that Lesandro was not in the photos. "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. . Following the lengthy opening statements from the prosecution and defense attorneys for the five suspected gang members, the first of 14 to stand trial, the first witness took the stand. 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. Stuck Drafting A Tough Brief? New Videos Show 15-Year-Old Trying to Outrun Bronx Gang Before Brutal Whether Junior was a gang member or not, didnt justify his death. Then hes dragged from the bodega and brutally stabbed by a swarm of attackers. 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. Understanding Big Law: A Must-Read Guide To One Of The Most Challenging Workplaces In The World Is Now Available. There are nine others charged in Guzman's murder that are still awaiting trial. Both times the worker refuses to help the young teen. GRAPHIC: CCTV and bystanders filming with their phones captured the gruesome Bronx bodega machete stabbing murder of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman by Trinitarios gang members. When Junior ran, the group gave chase. 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. 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. Surveillance video shows Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz being dragged from the Cruz and Chiky grocery store in the Bronx on June 20, 2018. No one, not prosecutors or police, wanted to admit, that Junior had gang connections. The night of the murder, my client, Manuel Rivera, wasnt carrying a machete; he wasnt a monster and he never intended to kill Junior. Also consider other hobbies. 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Secure New Clients Using A Content Marketing Funnel, Seth Klarman Doesnt Care Whether J.K. Rowling Is Cancelled. Fellow defendant Jose Muniz was heard saying "Trinitarios to the day I die" as he left the courtroom following the guilty verdicts. "I saw a smile on my mothers face really, really excited.". Is Your Firm Keeping Pace With The Advancements In eDiscovery? The attention this case brings to the heinous nature of gangs is important. ALL 8 SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED #justiceforjunior #JUNIOR #ripjunior #JUSTICE4JUNIOR #justice #bronx. If you have a machete, use the machete.. Following that, no amount of logic, analysis, or pleas for reason could convince jurors to set aside their emotions. 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. 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. Carrion says the testimony that all of the other wounds were superficial and did not cause Juniors death may not help the defense as much as theyd like. stop killing our brothersThe full story about 15-year old teen junior stabbed to death Justice for. 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,. 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. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. According to . 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. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The referrals are a nice bonus too, Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later, Enjoy. Diego Suero leaving the 48th Precinct in the Bronx. His understanding, as was everyones, was that the group was ordered to physically harm (not kill) any Sunset they found. Reyes said the order implied: If you have a gun, shoot it, if you a have a knife, you stab, if you have a machete, you use it.. Then, Elvin Garcia, who police say is seen here wearing a mask. They carried weapons for two reasons for their own protection and to use them to hurt (not kill) a Sunset. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon Hes at home with his mother. He was picked on and one time, beaten up so badly his ribs were broken. Kevin Alvarez, third from left, and Elvin Garcia, both members of the Trinitarios gang, appearing before a judge in 2018. Five other people have been arrested and accused of involvement in the crime. The ADAs argument also included graphic autopsy photos including the slit on Juniors neck the medical examiner says killed him. On the night of Juniors murder, Trinitarios were driving around looking for Sunset members when they spotted the 15-year-old walking. Frederick Then was arrested in 2018 in connection with Lesandros death. "Justice for Junior" has become a rallying cry. Seeing his sons clothing proved too much to bear for Juniors father, Lesandro Guzman, who left the courtroom shortly after Oikawas testimony. Police had seized the footage that night and it got leaked. Newly released videos show Junior's desperate final moments before Prosecutors previously said the teen succumbed to a neck wound caused by a 4-and-a-half inch knife that severed his jugular vein. We're about five years off of Best Buy having a 'Legal Troubleshooting' department, aren't we? I represented one of the Machete Monsters and I liked him. It appeared from a video of the crime (caught from multiple angles) that each attacked him viciously. 270p. See our privacy policy. Officers were called to a . Two gang leaders convicted for 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz murder The defense attorney for the man who allegedly dealt that throat cut took offense at that. Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Reyes described how their subsets of the Trinitarios terrorized rivals, including a Trinitarios splinter group called Sunset. 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. 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 testified for the prosecution in return for a lenient sentence. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. GRAPHIC: Gruesome bodega murder of Junior Guzman caught on camera In the beginning of the video, the teen is seen trying 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. They said their subsets, called Los Sures and Bad Boys, abided by a strict code of conduct. Continuing coverage on the trial can be read here. Knitting, perhaps? 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. At 11:35, a security camera films four cars driving slowly past the stoop where Juniors friend and some others were sitting. I dont want to see it again. A GRAPHIC VIEW OF HIS NECK! In total, more than a dozen suspects have been arrested in connection to the killing. Celebrities react to tragic murder of 15-year-old in the Bronx They hang out on a stoop close by, chatting and listening to hip-hop, according to Jason. Is that why Junior was targeted? Does An In Depth Analysis Predicting SCOTUS Decisions Help You Wind Down? They also argued their clients were pretending to stab Lesandro because gang leaders were watching the assault. Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. Also consider other hobbies. Parked outside the bodega are the cars that chased Junior. 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. They also face manslaughter, conspiracy, gang assault and weapons charges. Friends and family told us that Junior wasnt in a gang and the police have no such indication, either. The store has not opened since last Wednesday when the incident took place. 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. He specializes, New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after. The cars then split up and appear to surround him. Guzman-Feliz's death sparked outrage in the Bronx and beyond and spurred the allocation of $18 million toward gang prevention in the borough. 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. New Yorkers flooded investigators with tips. It was a lawyers argument (as the judges law clerk put it) intellectual, nitpicky not visceral. One man, identified by prosecutors as Jose Tavarez, enters the bodega and spots Junior. Amazingly, a customer is seen purchasing an item over Juniors blood. 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. At least 10 people had been injured in June in a series of street battles. He was walking toward Adams Place, a small street about five minutes away thats known for gang activity. There, leaders passed around cellphone pictures of various Sunset members and asked the returning soldiers to identify the person they stabbed. 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. 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. Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence, the Bronx district attorney, Darcel D. Clark, said. . Although this position was strenuously argued by defense counsel, the jury ignored it. 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.. ", Junior came to symbolize all of the young people who have lost their lives to brutal gang violence, said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. 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. I Represented A Monster -- Except He Really Wasn't - Above the Law 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. All five defendants Antonio Santigo, Elvin Garcia, Manuel Rivera, Estrella and Muniz were members of the Trinitarios gang. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was murdered outside of a Bronx deli in 2019. Only someone in the gang would know the response. WPIX reported that theyre charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and conspiracy. He only said that one word -- "water," she testified. 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. In opening statements, prosecutors described the teen's killing as a calculated and planned murder by the five suspects. 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 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. At Least Your Colleague Spat Wasnt This Bad: Some things we just dont share with the class. "Today's verdicts will not bring Junior back. junior guzman Video Full story - Justice for Lesandro Junior Guzman 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. #JusticeForJunior New Footage Shows Bodega Worker Refused to Help Dying 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 that, they will lead off summations. Cause of death released for Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz Prosecutors showed jurors an autopsy photo showing the lethal wound to the neck of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. Meanwhile, during closing arguments the defense told jurors that the prosecution had failed to prove the suspects wanted to kill Junior, arguing testimony from star witnesses showed the men intended to hurt Junior, not kill him.. 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. Toni Messina has tried over 100 cases and has been practicing criminal law and immigration since 1990. 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.. Select from premium Lesandro of the highest quality. Warning: Details of Fridays testimony are graphic in nature and may be disturbing to some. The referrals are a nice bonus too! He leaves and immediately three other men enter. The second day of trial in the killing of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was emotional and filled with graphic video and photos. Junior and the bodega owner appear to have an exchange with Kevin Alvarez before Junior is grabbed and beaten on the ground. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. Its Wednesday, June 20. Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. Passersby try to help. Sabathia. He was depicted in murals and online with a halo and angel wings. According to prosecutors, Jos Muniz first hacks Junior with a machete. They're not gonna forget it. A street was named after Junior, a scholarship fund, a summer camp. He gave a coded gang response when asked a question by a Trinitarios gang member driving by.

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