A case of mistaken identity by one of two quarreling Trinitarios factions led to Juniors horrifying death. Savage is another word. All five gang members were convicted of all four charges each had faced: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second-degree conspiracy and second-degree gang assault. The final six gang members who help beat and hack 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz to death outside a Bronx bodega in 2018 were sentenced to prison, officials announced Friday. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Elvin Garcia, 23 at time of arrest In a photo obtained exclusively by PIX11 News, Manuel Rivera a suspect in the June 20, 2018, killing of 15-year-old Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz in the Bronx is seen playing cars in Rikers Island, where hes being held in general population, unlike his fellow suspected gang members who are being held in a jail all to themselves at Rikers. Fredrick Then was charged in the death of Guzman-Feliz in September, according to police. It brings closure in the criminal justice aspect but does not bring an end to the pain Juniors family and friends still suffer, Clark said Friday. Finally, Justice for Junior: 5 life sentences handed down for his killers Read More: Where is Erin Kreups Ex-Husband Terris Stahl Now? Earlier, Muniz had insisted his actions were not equal to what some of the other gang members did. What is the Mayors plan to deal with them before a Correction Officer loses his or her life?. She said, I called him because I feel like you take too long. We have about another 700 (mostly gang members) inmates who should be placed in punitive segregation. caught-on-camera knife-and-machete slaying, Jonaiki Martinez Estrella was sentenced in October 2019, Cold case slay solved 30 years after 15-year-old NYC girl found strangled with her own bra : Just glad he got caught (EXCLUSIVE), Aerosmith announces farewell tour with multiple New York concerts, Education panel to vote on controversial proposal to move NYCs Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, 24 at time of arrest This story has been shared 658,628 times. A Bronx judge slammed the five gangbangers who killed Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz with lengthy prison terms Friday, but saved his sharpest rebuke for the teens cowardly executioner. 4 reputed Trinitarios gang members sentenced in the death of Junior Guzman You are the poster children for danger to society., My hope is that you will never have a chance to hurt another child in the way you hurt mine, the heartbroken dad said. The five men are the latest to be convicted for the horrific, caught-on-camera slaying of the innocent 15-year-old in a Bronx bodega on June 20, 2018 that left New York City reeling. Then, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was the last suspect to be charged in the case. [29] In December 2018, while detained at Rikers Island, Rivera received a slash wound on his face from a fellow inmate. Other inmates want blood from them.. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Luis A. Cabrera Santos, 25 at time of arrest. Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz was stabbed to death by men with machetes on June 20, 2018, in the Bronx, outside the Cruz and Chiky Grocery store on the corner of E. 183rd St. and Bathgate Ave. in Belmont. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. On June 20, 2018, at 11:30p.m. (EDT), 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz left his apartment to meet with a friend. Munizs lawyer, Martin Goldberg, had long argued in court that Muniz had used the flat part of the blade in the attack and claimed on Friday the machete wound was so superficial a tube of ointment could have treated Muniz wound to Junior. The dying boy, with a lethal wound to his neck, bled out on the sidewalk outside St. Barnabas Hospital. Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz Murder: Where Are Trinitarios Gang Our officers are brave public servants who make our jails safer, a rep for the Department of Correction said in a statement. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, stabbing death of Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, Gangbangers first-degree murder conviction overturned in brutal machete slaying of Junior Guzman-Feliz, 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. Garcias hand waswoundedduring the attack, according to the district attorneys office. Regrettably, Im responsible for the death of the young child, Junior, he said. The teen might have survived the grievous injury but only if pressure had been applied to his neck immediately, and he had been taken quickly to the hospital, the doctor said. The suspects punched Junior and dragged him from the store to the sidewalk, where five other Trinitarios hacked him relentlessly with knives and a machete. After his murder conviction last week, Muniz, 23, shouted, Popote! a Spanish nickname for the Trinitarios. They will never recover from their immense loss, but we hope it brings some peace to the community in knowing that these defendants will be in prison for years.. I wish they had all the same sentences, but the law is the law. According to the latest news, a purported gang member, Danel Fernandez, rejected his plea deal in November 2022. The lawyer also fumed about one of the Star prosecution witnesses, Kevin Alvarez, Jonaiki Martinez Estrella was sentenced in October 2019 to life in prison without parole on a murder charge. I do not know what its like to lose a child, Muniz, who also spoke in Spanish, told the court. This week the authorities announced the indictment of 15 more members of the same gang, accusing them of carrying out attacks with machetes, knives and fists in Upper Manhattan. My son did not kill him, she shouted. She told the jurors that he asked her to lie to police about how he injured his hand and that he pointed himself out in the surveillance video when it began circulating online, according to published reports. He is seen in the surveillance footage wearing a black baseball cap and black long-sleeve shirt. Eight other defendants in the case are still awaiting trial. Former NYPD Chief (Retd.) All six suspects will also serve five years post-release supervision. 3 of 'Junior's' accused killers have entire Rikers jail to themselves Mother of 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz faces son's killers at sentencing Terry Monahan said, That video made it on social media very quickly. (Obtained by NY Daily News / ), Members of the Los Sures faction went after Junior on June 20, 2018, believing him to be a rival member of Sunset.. Danel Fernandez, 26, was sentenced to 18 years in prison by Supreme Court Judge Ralph Fabrizio. Justice Neary, however, was unmoved and gave him the maximum penalty. Machete killing of Bronx teen in case of mistaken identity leads to Desperately, Junior tried to hide behind the clerks counter. Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz Trial Update: What's the Latest? fatal stabbingof Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, Wine Enthusiasts Sip of South America Tasting Event, Bombay Sapphire Saw This, Made This Installation, Young boy fatally shot by cop 50 years ago honored at South Jamaica, NYPD officer who was shot while washing car dies after 30 years in a coma, Woman groped repeatedly while riding Q60 bus in Sunnyside: NYPD, Diamonds in the rough? Now, its being used solely for the accused Trinitarios gang members charged in the June 20 slaying. The five men who hacked him to death were convicted of first-degree murder by a jury in 2019 and are serving sentences ranging from life without parole to 23 years to life. Danilo Payamps Pacheco, 21 at time of arrest He is accused of driving one of the vehicles that the suspects used to track down Guzman-Feliz on the night he was killed, per reports. The teen victim was seen trying to hide behind the counter, only to be forcibly dragged outside by the assaulters to the road, where he was viciously stabbed multiple times in the neck. Well, Im here to tell youyou are not a real Dominican, the judge said. Lesandro "Junior" Guzmn-Feliz was killed outside a bodega in Belmont, the Bronx, on June 20, 2018. Surveillance video showed the group punching Junior before they dragged him to the sidewalk, where five other members then hacked him to death with knives and a machete. Gang leaders sentenced to 25 years to life for 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz murder Thens lawyer, Larry Sheehan, said he couldnt comment because of a gag order the judge put in place in the case. He pleaded guilty on May 1 in a closed courtroom,PIX11 reported, and he testified on May 20 in thetrial for the five defendants charged with first-degree murder. Five reputed members of the Trinitarios gang pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter charges for the killing of Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz in the Bronx four years ago. The five men are the latest to be convicted for the horrific, caught-on-camera slaying of the innocent 15-year-old in a Bronx bodega on June 20, 2018 that left New York City reeling. The murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz occurred on June 20, 2018; the 15-year-old was killed by members of the Dominican-American gang Trinitarios in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx. If it were up to me, I would sentence these murderers to 300 years in prison.. The teen was seen on camera stumbling back into the deli, seeking help, but he was directed to go to a nearby hospital. Garcias girlfriendtestified in the trial on May 28. Im not sure about that because its the first time Im hearing about it you threw your future in the garbage.. On June 24, 2018, Kevin Alvarez and Michael Sosa Reyes turned themselves in since their faces were visible on the videos circulating the internet. The teen wanted to be a police. [15] He attended the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School, where he was a sophomore. They face up to 25 years to life behind bars. The last six of the 13 Trinitarios gang members convicted in the brutal, caught-on-camera knife-and-machete slaying were sentenced to prison in Bronx Supreme Court on first-degree manslaughter charges. We've received your submission. Im not sure the remorse you expressed is genuine. Anyone can read what you share. In June less than a week before the one-year anniversary of the vicious murder a jury convicted the five Trinitarios gang members on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second degree conspiracy and second-degree gang assault. I was there, but I did not have an intention and thats why I used the other side of the machete.. A group of five other gang members who have already been convicted came across Guzman-Feliz, mistaking him for their target. So, as the 22-year old convicted killer and gang member apologized to Junior Guzman-Feliz's family and said he prayed on his knees every night "for God to give them strength" he revealed,. Members of the Trinitarios gang charged in and dragged the teenager out onto the sidewalk, where they hacked him with knives. [28], Four of the suspects (Fernandez, Muniz, Rivera, and Hernandez) were incarcerated at Rikers Island and received death threats, even from other members of the Trinitario gang, while awaiting trial. Two reputed leaders of the Trinitarios gang have been convicted for their roles in the brutal stabbing death of Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz outside a Bronx bodega, officials announced Friday. The organs began to shut down.. Photo Credit: Passaic County prosecutor's office The 14 suspects accused in the fatal stabbing. Guzman-Feliz died after collapsing near the entrance of St. Barnabas Hospital. Juniors mother, Leandra, reminisced how her son loved music and playing online games and was an avid fan of the New York Yankees. He was a member of the NYPD Explorer program, an organization aimed at young people interested in law enforcement careers. He attended Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School. We've received your submission. Nineteen-year-old co-defendant Manuel Rivera was sentenced to 23 years to life behind bars. When his mother got out of jail, she suffered a stroke, the lawyer said. Lesandro was walking alone at about 11:40 p.m. on June 20, 2018, in the Belmont section of the Bronx, looking at his phone, when he was accosted by several members of the Los Surs faction of the Trinitarios. Junior in fact had zero gang ties. One of the suspects accused of killing Bronx teen Lesandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz was slashed in the face by a rival gang member inside a Rikers Island housing unit Tuesday, the Daily News has. His mother went to jail on a drug charge when Muniz was just three years old, and her son was raised by another woman, he said. Public outrage arose when graphic video of the murder began to circulate on the Internet. A sixth suspect, Luis Cabrera Santos, 29, was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison, the DAs office said. The 15-year-old attempted to hide from his killers in a bodega in the Bronx as seen in surveillance footage from the bodega. And Muniz shouted Hasta la muerte, meaning until death, as he and his fellow thugs were led from the courtroom in cuffs. On June 20, 2018, Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was murdered by members of the Trinitarios gang in the Bronx. The Department of Corrections is making sure they dont mess this one up and keeping them protected, a jail source previously told PIX11. Junior was repeatedly stabbed in the neck with a large knife following an altercation where he was dragged outside the shop by a group. In addition, the gang leader expelled the killers from the gang as a result of this mistaken-identity killing. Sueros lawyer didnt immediately return a request for comment. Arguing for leniency, the defense lawyers described the mesmerizing pull of gang life for young men like their clients, who they said came from troubled families and had found in the Trinitarios a group in which they felt valued and protected for the first time. It was important to get the information out throughout the country, so these individuals could never run.. You and your fellow gang members chased down and slaughtered a 15-year-old, defenseless boy in the most gruesome manner, and we in this courtroom had the misfortune of witnessing it on tape, the judge said. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Thats why my conscience is clean. After the attack Junior staggered to nearby St. Barnabas Hospital, where he collapsed and died. He turned himself in to police in September about a week after the NYPD said he was wanted for questioning. [22] The corner of Bathgate Avenue and 183rd Street, where Guzman-Feliz was killed, was ceremonially renamed "Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz Way" in February 2019, on his mother's birthday. 5 gang members plead guilty to killing of Bronx teen Lesandro 'Junior The five Trinitarios gang members convicted in the brutal slaying of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz were sentenced Friday to 25 years to life. Diego Suero and Frederick Then were said to have given the marching orders that led to the 15-year . Front page of the New York Daily News on Oct. 12, 2019: Machete Fiends Get Hard Time -- Judge throws book at Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz' killers. As per Leandra, Junior had left home to lend five dollars to a friend. Justice has been done in the savage beating death of promising Bronx teen Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz, prosecutors said Friday. On Friday, five of the men seen on the video attacking the youth, Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, were sentenced to life in prison in a Bronx courtroom, after being convicted of murder. Estrella, of Freeport, Long Island, made the final and fatal slash wound to Guzman-Felizs neck. On Friday, five of the men seen on the video attacking the youth, Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, known as Junior, were sentenced to life in prison in a Bronx courtroom, after being convicted of murder and gang assault in June. 5 of 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz's attackers sentenced to up to life in prison You deserved to be punished for causing so much pain. The men chased the teen into the deli before dragging him outside where they hacked him repeatedly with knives and machetes. Investigation Discoverys Real Time Crime: Run Junior / Neighborhood Watch follows the brutal murder of 15-year-old teen, Lesandro Junior Guzman-Feliz in New York in June 2018. In response to the attack, the Correction Officers Benevolent Association is calling for more safety measures in New York City jails. [32] By also convicting the defendants of first-degree murder, the jury acknowledged that Guzman-Feliz was tortured before his death. Danel Fernandez also is accused ofdragging "Junior" out of the bodega. Also Friday, two suspects Ronald Urena, 33, and Jose Tavarez, 26 were sentenced to 15 years. He was found guilty.. A jail source told PIX11 News that the men being held at Rikers Island are the most-watched inmates in the city right now. Muniz, along with co-defendants Antonio Rodriguez Hernandez Santiago, 25, Elvin Garcia, 25, were each hit with a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. [23][24], Fourteen suspects were arrested in connection with Guzman-Feliz's death. 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Muniz said it had nothing to do with a woman or a sex tape. 'Junior' Guzman Verdict: 5 Trinitarios Sentenced to Life in Hacking of Senseless is one of these words. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He began to run and was chased for several blocks by gang members occupying the vehicles. You will never have the ability to understand the pain you have caused, Mr. Guzman told the convicted men. He is suspected of chasing Guzman-Feliz toward the bodega and police said he was seen in one of the vehicles associated with the attack. 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The authorities also posted the screengrabs of the attackers on social media, seeking help from the public in identifying them and a reward of $25,000 for information leading to arrests. The chilling videos showed the chase began somewhere behind St. Barnabas Medical Center near DAuria Murphy Triangle, with Juniorrunning blocks and blocks, chased by a gang of men. Another photo shows suspect Manuel Rivera from the back, his curly hair dyed platinum blonde, playing cards at a table with other inmates. The expecting mother will need diapers and bottles, but she will also need comfy maternity clothes to wear throughout her pregnancy or a maternity pillow. He was wearing a black mask over his face and a white tank top. The suspect was allegedly a rival gang member. Suero, of the Bronx, is the suspected leader of the "Los Sures"set of the Trinitarios gang, according to the Bronx district attorney. The savage pack stabbed the teen outside of the Cruz and Chiky bodega after he was dragged out of the Belmont store in a case of mistaken identity a slaying that shocked the city, and grabbed national headlines.