But a leading police theory is the attackers mistakenly believed Junior was in a rival gang. She has not been back to court since. Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as 'Junior,' was mistaken for another person in a murder earlier this week described as "among the most brutal crimes I've seen in my 36yr career," New York . 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. 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. They pursued him in cars, mistaking the aspiring NYPD detective for a gangbanger because he supposedly resembled a known one. 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. 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. (Obtained by NY Daily News). The night of the murder, my client, Manuel Rivera, wasnt carrying a machete; he wasnt a monster and he never intended to kill Junior. He did not act with the intent to kill.. Forsyth County prosecutors rested their case Tuesday morning. 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. Add AI Research And Catching Up With Your Law School Buds To The Career Growth List -- See Also, Reach out just to catch up. The convicted killers will be sentenced Tuesday, July 16. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole on the murder conviction. Continuing coverage on the trial can be read here. 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. She said she watched the attack from an apartment window and ran downstairs to try to help. Prosecutors rested their case today in the Junior murder trial, but not without a graphic and powerful finish. The store owner unlocked a door leading to the area where Lesandro was hiding, Mr. Alvarez said, and told them to take the fight outside. After the verdict, Mr. Muniz showed no remorse and shouted, Popote, hasta la muerte! slang for Trinitarios until death.. On the night of June 20th , he was ordered by a leader nicknamed Psycho to find a Sunset (a rival gang member). #justiceforjunior #ripjunior ALL THAT MUST STOP . WNBC reported that the . Manuel Rivera came from the Dominican Republic (legally) at age 15 with his dad and two sisters. Friends and family told us that Junior wasnt in a gang and the police have no such indication, either. The defense also tried to discredit Guzman-Feliz alleging he was in a gang photo a notion a detective who took the stand denied. His history was whitewashed. The medical examiner testified she was a lumper a doctor who looks to combine injuries and conclude that they all might have contributed to death. Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. 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. The worker again refuses to help. Community member Elizabeth De Jesus likened the photo to a horror movie. 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. Instead, he said, he watched as other Trinitarios members dragged Junior outside and hacked him to death with machetes and knives. Nine others charged in the killing are awaiting trial. I didnt see the person who had just finished getting stabbed there, Mr. Alvarez said, choking back tears. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Five more gang members pleaded guilty in the brutal machete stabbing death of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz inside a Bronx bodega in 2018. Understanding Big Law: A Must-Read Guide To One Of The Most Challenging Workplaces In The World Is Now Available. He only said that one word -- "water," she testified. 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. 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. Do not sell my information. Of those 38, five were under the age of 10. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. "See what happens with those killers," said Leandra Feliz. Eight others are awaiting trial. A GRAPHIC VIEW OF HIS NECK! 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. But its too late. Prosecutors previously said the teen succumbed to a neck wound caused by a 4-and-a-half inch knife that severed his jugular vein. Following that, no amount of logic, analysis, or pleas for reason could convince jurors to set aside their emotions. One made a gesture as if he were going to hit Lesandro and the teenager ran, the witnesses said. This Aint One Of Them: Get to figuring your way around AI sooner rather than later. Its alleged that defendant Jonaiki Martinez Estrella plunged the knife into Juniors neck near the end of the 20-second attack. 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. A dozen alleged gang members were indicted July 18, with five charged with first degree murder, which includes torture, for the June 20 death of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz and could face life in prison without parole. 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. News and analysis from this company could be a game-changer for legal professionals working globally. They gathered outside of Mr. Sueros apartment building on Boston Road, where they smoked hookah and played music. LexisNexis Brief Analysis produces powerful, near-instant legal argumentation insights using the power of AI. Now that the prosecution had rested its case, the defense can begin to question witnesses next week, and once that process is done, closing arguments will begin. 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? Several of the gang members got out of the cars and surrounded Lesandro, asking him questions. 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. 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. We want to know your views on law firm policies and culture. 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. Nine other suspects are expected to stand trial on lesser charges in connection to the boys death later his year. Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon "It was just starting," he said. They attempted to cast blame on Mr. Martinez Estrella for Lesandros death. Junior stumbles back into the bodega, leaving a trail of blood on the floor. If you have a machete, use the machete.. What Better Place To Network Than The Facebook Friends List? Their trial provided a glimpse inside the violent Trinitarios gang, whose members mistook 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz for a rival. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after LesandroJunior Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death. Nearly a year after Lesandro was killed, a jury found five of the men guilty of murder and related charges on Friday, capping five weeks of testimony that provided a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Trinitarios, a highly organized and brutally violent Dominican gang. This Tool Can Help. The boy was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away. His understanding, as was everyones, was that the group was ordered to physically harm (not kill) any Sunset they found. The vicious murder in June of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz just blocks from his Bronx home drew outrage from across the city and beyond. The teen reportedly bled to death steps from the emergency room. ), It was shared millions of times on social media and in the general press. 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. The defense team asked Dr. Rodriguez if any of these additional wounds contributed to the teens death. Junior would go on to die outside of St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. 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. Our investigation retraces Juniors last steps and uncovers new details that may answer why he was targeted. Richard Harbus "A Bronx jury found the two leaders guilty for their role in the murder, closing another chapter of. Juniors parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. Also consider other hobbies. Police had seized the footage that night and it got leaked. Lets continue to examine why so many youths, particularly from inner cities, are attracted to the brutality of gangs. The injured teen was seen stumbling inside the bodega before exiting and making a run for the hospital. Surveillance cameras reportedly caught a group of men dragging Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega before attacking him. Just 20 minutes later, Junior is pronounced dead as a result of a stab wound to the neck. Members of Los Sures took orders from a leader named Diego Suero, whom they called Santa Claus.. [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. Junior rushes into this bodega just one block from his home. 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. The dad struggled to make a living and Manuel struggled in school. That wound was inflicted by one defendant alone, Mr. Estrella. Instead of turning to police, he turned to the Trinitarios, who like him, shared a Dominican heritage. AP Bronx gangbangers were given the order to inflict "any kind of damage". 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. Junior's parents were not in court, having been warned the images would be shown. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said each of the . The federal judiciary is getting more diverse. A bottle of hate had been uncorked and there was no way to close it. There, leaders passed around cellphone pictures of various Sunset members and asked the returning soldiers to identify the person they stabbed. The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced the cause of death for slain teen Lesandro Guzman-Feliz. Dr. Rodriguez also said it was possible Junior may have survived if brought to the hospital sooner. WPIX reported that theyre charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, gang assault, and conspiracy. However, police have said the teens murder was a case of mistaken identity. 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. Witnesses say these two police officers stood by watching the scene. They also argued their clients were pretending to stab Lesandro because gang leaders were watching the assault. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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,. 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. 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. Select from premium Lesandro of the highest quality. New surveillance footage shows the moments before and after Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was brutally jumped and stabbed to death.